Martha E. Newton
Deputy Undersecretary of International Affairs
Martha E. Newton was named Deputy Undersecretary of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on September 1, 2017.
Deputy Undersecretary Newton’s appointment marks a return to the Department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), where she served as Associate Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs from 2002-2006, leading the formulation of international economic, trade and labor policies on behalf of DOL and programs focused on international child labor, forced labor and modern slavery.
An Illinois native, Deputy Undersecretary Newton began her professional career in a prosecutor’s office, serving as the Chief of the Violent Crime Victim Assistance Division for the Illinois Attorney General.
Deputy Undersecretary Newton was also previously appointed as a Director of the Administration of Children and Families Division at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she coordinated the health and human service response for human trafficking victims and refugees.
Following HHS, Deputy Undersecretary Newton was the Executive Director of an NGO focused on the rescue and rehabilitation of child slaves in the fishing sector in West Africa, and also served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for International Justice Mission, a leading NGO focused on combating human trafficking and slavery through effective law enforcement strategies.
For the past decade, Deputy Undersecretary Newton has assisted individuals, companies and non-profits in the areas of corporate social responsibility and strategic partnership development.
Deputy Undersecretary Newton is a graduate of Western Kentucky University, where she received both her Bachelor and Master of Arts. She currently resides in Oakton, Virginia, and enjoys spending time with her husband and son.
