Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Board Members

JAMES J. WOODRUFF II, CHAIRMAN

James J. Woodruff II

James J. Woodruff II serves as Chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the federal agency responsible for adjudicating federal employee appeals and safeguarding the merit principles that underpin the federal civil service.

Drawing on more than two decades of legal, military, and public-service experience, Mr. Woodruff brings a distinctive perspective shaped by service as a federal adjudicator, government attorney, military officer, litigator, and legal educator. His career has been dedicated to advancing accountable government, protecting employee rights, and strengthening the institutions that support an effective and professional federal workforce.

Mr. Woodruff was confirmed by the United States Senate as a Member of the MSPB in 2025 and was sworn into office on October 28, 2025, restoring the Board's quorum after an extended period without a fully functioning appellate body. He was subsequently confirmed as Chairman in 2026 and currently serves a term that expires on March 1, 2032.

Before joining the MSPB, Mr. Woodruff served as Chief Counsel to the Chairman of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, where he advised on administrative adjudication, agency operations, and federal policy. He has also practiced law in both the public and private sectors, representing clients in litigation and administrative proceedings and advising organizations on complex legal, regulatory, and governance matters. His experience spans trial and appellate advocacy, public-sector accountability, and strategic legal counseling

A Major in the United States Air Force Reserve, Mr. Woodruff has devoted more than 15 years to military service. During a three-year active-duty assignment at Headquarters Air Force, he advised commanders worldwide on federal employment and workplace disputes, including whistleblower matters, and represented the Department of the Air Force before the MSPB and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Throughout his military career, he has held leadership positions supporting Pentagon-level operations, policy development, and strategic decision-making.

In addition to his government and military service, Mr. Woodruff has spent more than a decade teaching and mentoring future attorneys. He has taught courses in advocacy, torts, remedies, and estate planning at Florida Coastal School of Law and St. Francis School of Law. He received his education from Texas A&M University, South Texas College of Law, Air Command and Staff College, and Harvard Extension School.

Drawing on experience in government leadership, military service, legal advocacy, and legal education, Mr. Woodruff frequently addresses issues involving leadership, federal civil service law, administrative adjudication, employee rights, whistleblower protections, workforce accountability, merit-system principles, and the institutions that sustain an effective, professional, and mission-focused federal workforce.

HENRY J. KERNER, VICE CHAIRMAN

Henry J. KernerHenry J. Kerner was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 14, 2024, and sworn into his duties as a member of the Board on June 3, 2024. Previously, Mr. Kerner was the Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) from October 2017 until October 2023. As Special Counsel, he implemented new processes and procedures aimed at improving OSC response time to whistleblower complaints and streamlining the handling of prohibited personnel practice (PPP) investigations. Under his leadership, OSC set new agency records for the number of favorable actions achieved on behalf of whistleblowers. Mr. Kerner graduated from Harvard Law School and spent 18 years working as a career prosecutor, primarily in Compton, California. In 2011, he joined the staff of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where, under Chairman Darrell Issa and later Chairman Jason Chaffetz, he led investigations of the Federal bureaucracy and advocated on behalf of whistleblowers to protect American taxpayers. Mr. Kerner also served as staff director under Ranking Member Sen. John McCain of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.