About the Commissioner

Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez

Jacquelyn A. Suárez was named Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) on September 18, 2023, making her the first Hispanic commissioner to lead the DCA. Commissioner Suárez is committed to the department’s ongoing mission to provide residents, local governments, businesses, and community development organizations with financial support, administrative guidance, and technical assistance to help improve the quality of life for New Jersey families.

As Commissioner of one of the State's largest departments, she is responsible for a $1.485 billion operational budget and oversees more than 1000 employees. Commissioner Suárez spearheads a variety of departmental initiatives, including ending veteran homelessness in NJ, expanding shared services, developing homeownership opportunities, and creating a pipeline for public sector employment. Before her appointment as Commissioner, Suárez served as the Director of the Division of Local Government Services since 2021.

Commissioner Suárez leads the department with a focus on three core pillars: Data-Driven Decision Making, Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships, and Solutions-Focused Approaches to Managing Challenges. These guiding principles have empowered the department to address policy challenges more effectively, resulting in improved outcomes. Under her leadership, DCA has allocated over $100 million through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing statewide. She has positioned the department as a leader in providing innovative data tools that empower stakeholders to leverage data for insights, decision-making, and research. Commissioner Suárez has also prioritized addressing wealth disparities by expanding programs to build generational wealth through homeownership.

Commissioner Suárez is a New Jersey native who 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.