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Commissioner

Gwendolyn L. Harris

Gwendolyn L. Harris was sworn in as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services on May 6, 2002. Prior to her nomination by Governor James E. McGreevey, Ms. Harris was a 12-year veteran of city government in Trenton, New Jersey. During that time, Ms. Harris served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor, beginning in 1996. Prior to that, she served as Health and Human Services Director and then Business Administrator.

Before joining city government, Ms. Harris held administrative positions in both the not-for-profit and government sectors. She founded Newark Emergency Services for Families and served as its first Executive Director. Ms. Harris was a District Office Manager and, later, the Assistant Regional Administrator of the Department of Human Services, Division of Youth and Family Services. She also served as the Program Director of New Community Corporation, a community economic development corporation in Newark.

Ms. Harris is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Policy Development at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University. She earned a Master’s degree from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Connecticut.