Jersey City Mayor-elect James Solomon took a decisive step toward his Jan. 15th inauguration, unveiling a Transition Policy Committee heavy on subject-matter expertise. Among the high-profile appointments are Andrés Acebo, president of New Jersey City University (NJCU), and Evan Weiss, a veteran of public finance and economic development, signaling a transition focused on institutional stability and fiscal accountability.
The committee is tasked with drafting a “First 100 Days Plan” to deliver immediate wins in affordability and safety, followed by a comprehensive “First-Term Action Plan” to be released this spring.
Acebo, who recently made history as the youngest president to lead a public university in New Jersey, will serve on the Education & Youth Committee. Acebo is widely credited with orchestrating a “remarkable recovery” at NJCU, moving the institution from a $22.7 million deficit to its first balanced budget in years.
His inclusion suggests that the Solomon administration will prioritize:
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Social Mobility: Leveraging Acebo’s experience in making higher education accessible to first-generation students.
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Institutional Partnerships: Strengthening the pipeline between Jersey City Public Schools and local anchor institutions.
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Proven Leadership: Bringing a “case study” level of crisis management and academic revitalization to the city’s youth policy.
On the financial front, Solomon tapped Evan Weiss for the Budget Advisory Committee. Weiss currently serves as the president and CEO of the Newark Alliance and is a former senior advisor to Gov. Phil Murphy on Finance and Major Projects.
Weiss’s background in “turnaround strategies” for distressed cities makes him a critical asset as Solomon looks to modernize city operations. His expertise includes:
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Public Finance: Navigating complex capital stacks and infrastructure funding.
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Economic Development: Finding creative tax and incentive solutions to spur inclusive growth.
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Accountability: Implementing data-driven metrics to measure the effectiveness of city spending.
“Jersey City voted for change, and we’re not waiting until inauguration day to get to work,” Solomon said. By recruiting leaders like Acebo and Weiss, Solomon is leaning on professionals who have managed large-scale recoveries and complex public-private partnerships.
Below is the full roster of the Transition Policy Committee, organized by their respective focus areas.
Public Safety Committee
- Ray Hayducka (Co-Chair)
- Pam Johnson (Co-Chair)
- Derick Dailey
- Commissioner Robert “Bob” Dowd
- Officer Christina Freeman
- Councilmember Frank Gilmore
- Timothy Griffin
- Deputy Chief Loren Hart
- Nedia Morsy
- Michael Postorino
- Armando Roman
- Former Deputy Chief Joseph Santiago
- Mitch Schnee
- Amol N. Sinha, ESQ
- Councilmember-elect Tom Zuppa
Education & Youth Committee
- Former School Board President Mussab Ali (Co-Chair)
- State Senator Vin Gopal (Co-Chair)
- President Andres Acebo
- Norma Fernandez
- Principal Chris Gadsden
- Ira Guilford
- Paula Mercado Hak
- Former Board of Education Trustee Alex Hamilton
- Kristen Zadroga-Hart
- Lainie Hicks
- Christopher Reber
- Councilmember Denise Ridley
- Board of Education Trustee Matt Schneider
- Janhitha Veeramachaneni
- De’Shawn Wright
Art & Culture Committee
- Olga Levina (Co-Chair)
- Liz Schedl (Co-Chair)
- Beth Achenbach
- Colin Egan
- Deonté Griffin-Quick
- Curt Harris
- Terry Loftis
- Samuel Pott
- Councilmember-elect Mamta Singh
- Selig Sacks
Health & Human Services Committee
- State Senator Angela McKnight (Chair)
- City Councilmember-elect Joel Brooks
- Dr. Cameron Brown
- Peter Gliatto
- Balpreet Grewal-Virk
- Heather Howard
- Mike McLean
- Debbie White
- McKenzie Wilson
Housing & Economic Development Committee
- Assemblymember-elect Katie Brennan (Co-Chair)
- State Senator Britnee Timberlake (Co-Chair)
- Umar Chaudhry
- Nick Chiaravalloti
- Councilmember-elect Michael Griffin
- Daniel “Danny” Gumble
- Councilmember-elect Rolando Lavarro
- Shane Mitchell
- Adrian Orozco
- Carol Sainthilaire
- Gillian Sarjeant-Allen
- Paul Silverman
City Assets, Sustainability & Street Safety Committee
- Mayor Ravi Bhalla (Co-Chair)
- Lady Jimenez-Torres (Co-Chair)
- Kevin Bing
- Michael DeCotiis
- Dawn Giambalvo
- Councilmember-elect Eleana Little
- John Lynch
- Tiffany McQueary
- Tyler Newcomb
- Sam Pesin
- Matt Smith
Transit & Transportation Committee
- State Senator Raj Mukherji (Co-Chair)
- Ayla Schermer (Co-Chair)
- Anthony “Tony” Coscia
- Councilmember-elect Jake Ephros
- Ed Florio
- Andy Kaplan
- Barry Kushnir
- Jack McKee
- Peter Simon
- Kate Slevin
Intergovernmental Affairs & Communications Committee
- Mo Butler (Co-Chair)
- Antoinette Miles (Co-Chair)
- Laura Bustamante
- Christian Callegari
- Former United States Senator George Helmy
- Carolina Montes
Budget Advisory Committee
- Marc Pfeiffer (Chair)
- Beverly Brown Ruggia
- Jonathan Casiano
- Brandon McKoy
- Bill Viquiera
- Evan Weiss
