Hope L. Cooper
Chair/Chief Executive Officer

Hope L. Cooper was appointed Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission by Governor Jon. S. Corzine on August 15, 2008. Prior to her appointment Ms. Cooper was Acting Commissioner of the Department of Personnel. She previously served as the Director of Administration for the Office of the Governor where she oversaw Executive branch appointment approval and processing, hiring and promotional freeze administration and executive salary management.

In that position, Ms. Cooper worked to shape and implement human resource policy for the State’s executive branch agencies. Prior to that appointment, Ms. Cooper served as Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Department of Personnel.

Ms. Cooper practiced law in both the public and private sectors for 10 years prior to joining State government - most recently with the Newark Housing Authority.  Her areas of expertise include land use and planning, litigation, and intellectual property rights.

She is active in wide array of community organizations, and has served on the boards of EJECT, Inc., the Newark Women’s Conference, and the Central Ward Boys and Girls Club of Newark, New Jersey. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Fordham University School of Law, and holds degrees from New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.