Murphy nominee to lead Department of Community Affairs appears before NJ Senate committee

The head of the state’s Department of Community Affairs may soon be able to drop "acting" from her title.

Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez was interviewed by the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, a necessary step before she can be officially appointed to the role in which she has served since last year.

Suárez has held the post of acting commissioner since September and was formally nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy in January. She has been in the role since the death last summer of Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who also served as DCA commissioner.

If Suárez is approved and appointed by the full state Senate on Monday, she will be the first Hispanic to hold the post.

What did legislators say?

State Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, introduced Suárez since she is from his district, noting that she first started working in state government during former Gov. Chris Christie's administration and said she will be able to help “move New Jersey forward on a lot of housing issues” during the remaining 18 months of Murphy’s tenure.

“Her responsiveness is incredible on constituent issues, which I know is something that all of us care a lot about,” he said. “Her passion and empathy knowing that sometimes red tape can be challenging in government is really important.”

Suárez paid tribute to Oliver during her remarks, calling her a mentor and saying Oliver taught her how to “lead with grace, poise and authenticity.” She went on to talk about growing up in New Jersey and her willingness to do the work needed to solve problems.

“Every lesson I learned and every challenge I faced brought me here to a place where I can change the lives of others for the better, a privilege I am grateful for every day,” she said.

Suárez highlighted all of the responsibilities of the department and what it has done to benefit residents throughout the state.

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What did Murphy say?

When he first announced her nomination, Murphy said Suárez has “skillfully served our state for many years — lending her expertise to important legal and policy matters affecting municipalities throughout New Jersey.”

“When local governments were faced with tremendous challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, she stepped up as head of the Division of Local Government Services and provided local leaders with the support they needed during a difficult time,” Murphy said. “While Sheila Oliver can never truly be replaced, Jacquelyn will undoubtedly carry on Sheila’s legacy of passionate, dedicated leadership of this department on behalf of New Jersey’s communities.”

Before taking charge of the department, Suárez served as the director of the Division of Local Government Services, a role she began in January 2021.

Suárez previously chaired the state’s Local Finance Board and served as an associate counsel in the governor’s office, where she worked on pending legislation, statutory responsibilities, litigation, the development of administrative regulations, and proposals related to public policy.

She holds a Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law in Camden and a bachelor’s degree in communications, legal institutions, economics and government from American University in Washington, D.C. Suárez is a member of the state bar associations in both New Jersey and New York and of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jacquelyn Suárez, Murphy pick to run NJ DCA, meets with state senators