N.Y. Gov. Pataki Names Ferrara to Chair Workers Comp Board

Former state Assemblywoman Donna Ferrara has been elevated by Gov. George Pataki to chairwoman of the 13-member state Workers’ Compensation Board, a post that will pay the Long Island Republican $120,800 a year.

Pataki put Ferrara on the state board early last year. As a regular member of the panel, she made $90,800 a year. In the Assembly, Ferrara served as the ranking minority member of the chamber’s Insurance Committee.

Pataki said Ferrara’s background “makes her exceptionally qualified to lead the Workers Compensation Board. … Donna understands this vital system and has firsthand knowledge of both the insurance industry and the law.”

Ferrara, a lawyer, replaces David Wehner as head of the board that handles worker compensation claims contested by employees, employers and insurance companies. Her term on the board runs through 2012.

Wehner left the board chairmanship in January to head the State Insurance Fund.