John L. Rioux is the Deputy Director of the Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (BLS), in charge of operations at the Bureau, in the Maine Department of Labor.
Prior to this, he was the BLS Director of the Technical Services Division. In that position he was responsible for the operation of the Bureau’s Research and Statistics and Customer Service Units, as well as the information technology that supports the Bureau’s operations.
The Research and Statistics Unit gathers, analyzes, and disseminates data and research on labor standards and occupational injuries and illnesses. The Customer Service Unit performs intake functions for the Bureau’s services and helps customers navigate the government service delivery systems. The Customer Service Unit received a Justice Action Group award for government service innovation shortly after creation.
John has over 40 years’ experience with data and data systems, and as a data manager has been involved in introducing, shaping, and implementing Lean Continuous Improvement in state government. He was a member of the leadership team of the innovative interdepartmental Bend the Curve continuous improvement/Lean program, which received a “Bright Idea” award from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Ash Institute’s Innovations in Government program. John is a certified Continuous Improvement Practitioner.
He has been a member and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Continuous Improvement Lean Collaborative (CILC) since its inception and plays a pivotal role in the annual Lean Systems Summit.
John holds an AB in Economics from Georgetown University, Public Administration studies at the University of Maine-Augusta, and a MS in Statistics from the University of Southern Maine.