WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday named a new chief to lead its unit tasked with overseeing public company disclosures, a high-profile role as the agency moves to address rising calls for greater transparency from companies about environmental, social and governance issues.

Renee Jones, recently an associate dean at Boston College Law school, will become director of the SEC's division of corporation finance on June 21, the SEC said in a statement. Before her career in academia, she was an attorney with Hill & Barlow law firm.

The SEC division has been reviewing public company disclosures around climate risks, an issue which has gained increasing attention from regulators. SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who took the helm at the agency in April, has said rulemaking around climate risk will be a key focus.

The current acting head of the division, John Coates, has led the division since February. Coates, previously a professor with Harvard University, has been named SEC General Counsel, the SEC said. (Reporting by Chris Prentice Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)