In a move that speaks to the importance of the position and the competence of the
person in charge, Jacquelyn Suárez is being retained as the Commissioner of the
Department of Community Affairs, Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill announced over the
holiday break.
Suárez has served New Jersey for over a decade as a lawyer, legislative liaison,
division director and commissioner. Her years of dedication and competence have
earned her the respect and support of community leaders, local officials and colleagues
in Trenton.
She certainly impressed Sherrill.
As a key cabinet member in the Sherrill-Caldwell administration, Sherrill said Suárez’s
attention will be focused on investing in activities that both sustain and cultivate
community development.
Under her leadership, the DCA will reform the permitting process, target the resources
of the department to create housing that people can afford, revitalize vacant commercial
properties for small businesses and mixed uses, and provide guidance to municipal
officials on best management practices, particularly those that can reduce their
residents’ taxes.
“I am honored to have Jacquelyn Suárez serve as the Commissioner of the Department
of Community Affairs,” Sherrill said. “Her collaboration with local governments, work on
veteran homelessness, and support for small businesses has earned her the respect of
leaders across the state.
“In the Sherrill-Caldwell administration, DCA will reform the burdensome permitting
process to lower costs, address our housing shortage, and expand shared services to
reduce New Jerseyans’ tax burden. I’m excited to have an experienced leader like
Commissioner Suárez to guide those efforts and help build a more affordable Garden
State.”
Suárez said she was honored to have the opportunity to continue to serve.
“I am excited to work with Governor-elect Sherrill on her mission to make New Jersey
more affordable – finding creative solutions to lower housing and rental costs and
cutting red tape to make it easier to start and grow a small business,” she said.
“We will also continue important efforts like ending veteran homelessness through our
Bringing Veterans Home initiative. Our department will work efficiently and
collaboratively with residents and municipalities, which is key to delivering lower costs
for families across our state.”
Suárez has led the Department of Community Affairs for more than two years,
overseeing more than 1,000 employees and managing a $2.15 billion operational
budget. She is the first Hispanic DCA Commissioner.
A native of New Jersey, Suárez earned her Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law in
Camden and her bachelor’s degree in communications, legal institutions, economics,
and government from American University in Washington D.C. She is a member of both
the New Jersey and New York bar associations. She is also a member of the Hispanic
Bar Association of New Jersey.
