Governor Murphy Nominates Kevin Dehmer as next Commissioner of Education at the NJDOE

Dear NJSACC Community:

I’m pleased to share the news that Governor Murphy has announced the nomination of Kevin Dehmer to serve as the next Commissioner of Education at the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE). He will succeed Acting Commissioner Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, who announced her retirement after three years in the position.

Since 2022, Mr. Dehmer has served as Executive Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, where he led a group of researchers focused on strategies that enhance workers’ skills and employability through education and training programs.

Prior to this, he worked at the New Jersey Department of Education where he held several leadership roles including Assistant Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer. Over more than 15 years at the Department, he directed numerous offices and served on several state councils, advisory groups, and commissions. Mr. Dehmer also briefly served as Interim Commissioner in 2018 and 2020.

In his announcement, Governor Murphy highlighted Mr. Dehmer’s wealth of experience in education policy and proven commitment to improving educational outcomes. Educational leaders from around the state have called Mr. Dehmer a thoughtful and analytical leader who asks important questions.

At this time, when the relationship between our schools and afterschool and out-of-school programs is critical to maintaining our students on the path of post-pandemic learning recovery, NJSACC is pleased to welcome Kevin Dehmer to his new role. We look forward to working with Commissioner Dehmer and the NJDOE staff to support youth with high quality afterschool and OST programs. 

Sincerely,

Ebony D. Grace, MFT

Chief Executive Officer