Sarah Swanson is Commissioner of the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, bringing decades of leadership experience in both the private and public sectors to her role she leading the state’s mission to empower every Montanan through work and opportunity. Appointed by Governor Greg Gianforte in August 2023, she leads DLI’s work to modernize workforce systems, expand high-quality training pathways, and align policy around a unifying vision that every Montanan should have a pathway to a career and a plan to achieve it.

Under her leadership, Montana has launched a visionary workforce modernization effort, known as 406 JOBS, to transform how workers are educated and trained across the state. Sarah has also led efforts to implement historic occupational licensing reforms, streamlining nearly 200,000 professional licenses, expand registered apprenticeship opportunities, and launched the state’s first Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program to better connect education and work. Her public service includes prior roles as DLI’s Director of Strategic Engagement and Chief of Staff at the Montana Office of Public Instruction, where she focused on innovation at the intersection of education and workforce.

In the private sector, she served as an owner and General Manager of Farm Equipment Sales, Inc., a multi location John Deere dealer, leading the company through significant growth and partnering with schools to create industry-aligned pipelines like Build Montana that open doors to high-skill, high-wage technical careers.

A proud native of Eastern Montana, Swanson now applies this blend of business, education, and policy experience to strengthen the talent, training, and regulatory environment that supports Montana’s photonics and quantum industries.