Obama Alumna Named NJ Secretary of Higher Ed

NJ Governor Phil Murphy announced that he has appointed Zakiya Smith Ellis as the state's next Secretary of Higher Education. She joins the Murphy administration after five years as the Director of Finance and Federal Policy at the Lumina Foundation. Smith Ellis was previously a Senior Policy Advisor for Education on the Obama White House Domestic Policy Council. She also worked for the Department of Education, Teach For America, and GEAR UP, and holds a Bachelor’s from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. “I know from personal experience the transformative power of education and have worked for my entire professional career to ensure those opportunities are available for more students,” said Smith Ellis. Governor Murphy also announced the appointment ofDeirdre Webster Cobb as Chair and CEO of the Civil Service Commission, and B. Sue Fulton as Chair and Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, making his Cabinet the first in NJ’s history with more women than men. Fun fact: Zakiya was introduced to federal policy as an intern with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Congrats, Zakiya! More here.