For the first time in New Jersey’s 242-year history, the majority of a governor’s cabinet appointments are female.
Governor Phil Murphy has selected three more women for cabinet positions.
He’s nominated Zakiya Smith Ellis as Secretary of Higher Education.
She’s worked on education policy issues in Washington DC for the past decade and believes a powerful movement is brewing in the nation around the concept of free community college.
“I’ve had the opportunity to become familiar with different approaches that states have taken to develop these kinds of plans and am really looking forward to the opportunity to work with the governor, the legislature, and institutions in this state to develop a responsible approach that works well for New Jersey.”
Murphy says the state Civil Service Commission has veered away from its core responsibility and has become politicized. He’s nominating Deirdre Webster Cobb, a state employee for more than 25 years, to chair the commission. She says she’ll conduct a thorough review to determine areas that need improvement.
“We must develop a plan that will equip our managers with the flexibility necessary to manage their workforce and cost-effectively improve productivity while restoring employee confidence in a system that rewards quality, merit, and productivity.”
Murphy has selected former Army Captain and LGBTQ advocate Sue Fulton to be Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission.
She says she’ll work to fulfill Murphy’s promise to improve customer service and allow for automatic voter registration.
“To leverage the MVC to expand Democracy in our state. To ensure that all New Jerseyans are treated with respect for their time and their dignity when they come to our offices.”
Murphy believes New Jersey now has the most diverse cabinet of any state in the nation.