Ryan McKenna was named Director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in December 2013 by Governor Jay Nixon.

As director, McKenna oversees and coordinates the efforts of the Department, including the Division of Employment Security, the Division of Workers’ Compensation, the Division of Labor Standards, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, and the State Board of Mediation.

Under McKenna’s leadership, the department continues to ensure businesses are competing on a level playing field not only through strict enforcement of Missouri’s labor laws, but also by educating businesses and workers through community outreach.

Previously, McKenna represented Jefferson County in the state Senate from 2006 to 2013, and also was a state representative from Jefferson County from 1998 to 2004. He served on several Senate committees, including the Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee. His father and his grandfather also served in the Missouri General Assembly before him. A Jefferson County native, McKenna is a graduate of Missouri State University and worked as a union laborer on highway and bridge construction before being elected to the General Assembly.

McKenna continues to take an active role in his community. He is an active member of the Jefferson County Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, Next Steps for Life, and the Festus Elks Club. He serves as a board member for the Jefferson County Library Foundation and the Jefferson County Epilepsy Foundation. On July 29, McKenna was nominated and elected as the 1st Vice President for the National Association of Governmental Labor Officials. McKenna attends Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Festus, MO.

McKenna currently resides in Crystal City with his son Kellan.

Ken Jacob was appointed to serve as the Deputy Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in December 2013. Prior to this appointment, Jacob served as the Acting Director for Division of Employment Security. He also served in the Missouri Legislature, both in the House and Senate, ran state programs for youth non-for-profit organizations, and was the Chair of the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission in 2004.

Jacob earned two bachelor’s degrees (economics and history), two master’s degrees (public administration, educational counseling and personnel management), and his law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.