Martha E. Newton was appointed as the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement on February 27, 2006. In this capacity she directs all assistance that supports refugee resettlement within the United States and is committed to strengthening programs to ensure that refugees and others eligible can participate fully in society and achieve economic self sufficiency.

Prior to her appointment at the Department of Health and Human Services, Ms. Newton was the Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs at the United States Department of Labor. Appointed to this position in May, 2005, she led the formulation of international economic, trade and labor policies on behalf of the United States Department of Labor. From 2002, she also served as the Associate Deputy Under Secretary and the Chief of Staff for the International Labor Affairs Bureau.

Ms. Newton brings a wealth of experience to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, with special expertise in areas of human trafficking, forced labor and violent crime victimization. From 1995 to 2002, Ms. Newton was the Chief of the Crime Victim Services Division for Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, where she was responsible for administering grant programming and designing technical assistance strategies that supported victims of violent crime within the state of Illinois.

An active volunteer and distance running enthusiast, Ms. Newton has served on the Board of the Junior League of Chicago and has successfully completed numerous marathon and ultra marathon events in the United States and Canada.