NLRB Taps Terence G. Schoone-Jongen as Director of the Office of Representation Appeals

WASHINGTON, DC—The National Labor Relations Board has selected Terence G. Schoone-Jongen as the new Director of the Office of Representation Appeals. During his 9 years at the NLRB, Mr. Schoone-Jongen has distinguished himself as a leading expert in the area of representation case law. Mr. Schoone-Jongen joined the Agency as an Honors Attorney in 2010, during which time he worked for the staffs of former Members Craig Becker, Mark Gaston Pearce, Terence F. Flynn, and Sharon Block. During this time, he worked on a range of matters for the Office of Representation Appeals and the Solicitor. He joined the staff of the Office of Representation Appeals as Counsel in 2012 and was named Assistant Chief Counsel of that Office in 2015. Mr. Schoone-Jongen replaces Lafe Solomon, who vacated the Director position to serve as Acting General Counsel in 2010, and Beverly Oyama, who served as Acting Director from 2015 to her retirement in March 2017.

Mr. Schoone-Jongen received his undergraduate degree from Calvin College (now Calvin University) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and holds a MA and Ph.D. in Theatre History, Literature, and Criticism from The Ohio State University. During his academic career, Mr. Schoone-Jongen taught at The Ohio State University and Otterbein College and published monographs on William Shakespeare’s early career and Dutch heritage festivals in the upper Midwest. Mr. Schoone-Jongen earned his JD from The George Washington University.

The Office of Representation Appeals processes appeals of regional determinations in representation cases, including those involving workplace elections. The Director is the chief legal adviser and consultant to the entire Board on all questions of law, procedure, and policy regarding representation issues. The Director also advises the Board’s regional offices with respect to representation matters delegated to them.

Established in 1935, the National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency that protects employers and employees from unfair labor practices and protects the right of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The NLRB conducts hundreds of workplace elections and investigates thousands of unfair labor practice charges each year.