The New York State Workers' Compensation Board has a new executive director.

Jeffrey Fenster started in his new post Monday.

Gov. David Paterson announced Fenster's appointment as the board's executive director Friday. Fenster was previously an attorney at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, based in Manhattan.

He will earn $141,730 a year.

Fenster replaces Joseph Pennisi, who left the job in October 2009 to become secretary of the powerful state Senate Finance Committee.

The Workers' Compensation Board has an annual budget of more than $210 million, and is charged with processing workers' comp claims, adjudicating workers' comp cases and determining the size of workers' comp awards to plaintiffs.