Nancy Farias

Nancy Farias, a passionate and dedicated public servant with a remarkable career spanning several decades in state service, is at the helm of the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Her leadership has been instrumental in guiding the department through one of the most challenging periods in state history, including a 16 percent unemployment rate, unprecedented fraud attempts, and massive unemployment claims. Nancy’s resilience has breathed new life into the department, transforming it into a people-centered public service agency. Overseeing nearly 10,000 employees and a fiscal year 2024-2025 budget of $24 billion, Nancy leads one of the largest public benefit systems in the nation. This includes the collection of approximately 40% of the state’s general funds, making it the largest personal income tax collection entity in the U.S., second only to the IRS. With extensive experience across the public and private sectors, including labor, Nancy is a fervent advocate for working families. Her background includes roles in government relations for the state of California, the California and Massachusetts legislatures, as well as positions in lobbying and law firms. Nancy earned her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts, and is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and before the Supreme Court of the United States.