Honorable Wesley G. Marshall Named Chairman of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission
[Richmond, VA]- Honorable Wesley G. Marshall has been elected to a three-year term as Chairman of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWC), effective July 1, 2024. He succeeds Commissioner Robert A. Rapaport, whose term ended June 30, 2024.
Chairman Marshall, Commissioner Rapaport, and Commissioner R. Ferrell Newman, serve as appellate-level judges at the Commission and direct its operations and staff of 292.
Chairman Marshall, of Richmond, was appointed to the Commission in 2012. He also served a term as Commission Chairman from 2015-2018.
From 1988 to 2012, he was an attorney in private practice, primarily representing plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, employment matters, and other civil litigation. He received his B.A. with Distinction in 1985 and his J.D. in 1988 from the University of Virginia.
Chairman Marshall serves on the Executive Committee of the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA), the Board of Directors of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) and the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ), and was a founding member of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation American Inn of Court. In 2015, he was inducted as a Fellow in the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.
The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWC), established in 1918, is an independent judicial and administrative state agency that oversees the workers’ compensation system for employees, employers, and insurers. VWC interprets and applies the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act and resolves claims through hearings and mediation.
The Commission is led by a Senior Leadership team consisting of three Commissioners, an Executive Director and a Chief Deputy Commissioner. Commissioners are selected by the General Assembly and serve six-year terms. Honorable R. Ferrell Newman, Honorable Wesley G. Marshall and Honorable Robert A. Rapaport currently serve as Commissioners. The Commissioners elect a Chairman to serve a three-year term. Commissioner Rapaport currently serves as Chairman. Ms. Evelyn V. McGill is the Commission’s Executive Director and the Honorable James J. Szablewicz is the Commission’s Chief Deputy Commissioner.
Leading the way in electronic data and claims filing systems, in 2023 VWC processed over 32,000 claims and issued 2,600 judicial opinions. VWC also administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund, the Uninsured Employer’s Fund, and adjudicates claims under the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, VWC operates regional offices in Bristol, Virginia Beach, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Manassas and Fairfax.
For more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please email Charles Steepleton or call 877-664-2566.
