Former SWCB Commissioner Michael Berns Dead at 72

Friday, January 22, 2016 | 0

Former New York State Workers' Compensation Board Commissioner Michael Berns, who wrote a blog about the state workers' comp system, died at his home in New York City on Jan. 14. He was 72.

Michael Berns

Berns was active in several campaigns for Republican candidates in the 1990s as a partner in RBR Political Consultants, including Jim Buckley's campaign for the U.S. Senate and George Pataki's successful campaign for governor, according to an obituary in the New York Times. In 1996, Pataki appointed him to the Workers' Compensation Board, where he served until his retirement in 2008.

Before entering politics, Berns worked in the import/export electronics business. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965, according to the Times.

After retiring from the Workers' Compensation Board, Berns wrote the Inside Workers Comp NY blog, which was frequently critical of board decisions and policies. WorkCompCentral occasionally reprinted his blog postings as professional columns on its website.

Berns is survived by his wife of 41 years, Claudia Massimo Berns, their daughter Margaret Tiffany Berns and his 105-year-old mother-in-law Margherita Massimo, who resides in the home he shared with his wife.

A memorial service was held Thursday at the Frank E. Campbell Memorial Chapel in New York City.