AUSTIN– Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Dirk Johnson to the Injured Employee Public Counsel for a term set to expire on February 1, 2025. The Public Counsel helps injured employees in the Workers' Compensation system, oversees the ombudsman program, and advocates on behalf of injured employees.

Dirk Johnson of Austin currently serves as house counsel for Clinical Pathology Laboratories. Johnson previously served as the chief counsel for the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General from 2019 to 2022, general counsel for the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation, and the deputy public insurance counsel for the Office of Public Insurance Counsel. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas. Johnson received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University.

This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.