Lombardo picks new director for Nevada’s employment office

Nevada’s employment office has a new director.

Gov. Joe Lombardo announced Wednesday that Christopher Sewell will be the director of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Sewell was previously serving as a deputy director at DETR for nearly two years, though he has worked for the department for six years.

“Chris is dedicated to serving Nevadans, and I’m confident that he’s going to continue his outstanding state service by bringing new purpose and leadership to DETR,” Lombardo said in a news release.

Sewell will be responsible for overseeing six divisions as well as the department’s budget and organizational policy. He succeeds Elisa Cafferata, who stepped down Jan. 2 after heading the agency since August 2020.

Prior to joining DETR, Sewell was the chief of the compliance and audit unit for the Division of Insurance. He started his regulatory duties with the Nevada Transportation Authority as an investigator and has worked for the Public Utilities Commission as a financial analyst, senior compliance investigator and acting manager in the consumer unit, according to the release.

He has also been a deputy with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and a Washoe County School District police officer.

Sewell is a fifth-generation Nevadan from Reno and studied business administration at Menlo College in Atherton, California.

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.