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Margo Chaly Esq. serves as Acting Secretary of Higher Education and was appointed by the Sherrill Administration in January 2026.

As Acting Secretary of Higher Education, she is responsible for statewide higher education policy coordination and planning. Ms. Chaly brings extensive experience from her five years with the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) under the Murphy Administration, where she advanced efforts to make college more affordable and accessible for residents. She served as Chief of Staff from February 2021 and was later appointed by Governor Phil Murphy to lead the Authority as Executive Director in March 2024. Under her leadership, HESAA awarded close to $1.4 billion in financial aid through grants and scholarships to eligible students attending colleges and universities across the Garden State. She also advanced targeted strategies to strengthen workforce pipelines and retention in high-need career fields. Between 2024 and 2026, the Authority committed $19.9 million to student loan relief and helped students finance training in critical fields with zero-interest, fee-free loans offered by the first-in-the-nation Pay It Forward program. During her tenure at HESAA, New Jersey remained a national leader in FAFSA completion and in the amount of need-based aid it awards to students.

Ms. Chaly dedicates her personal time to uplifting and empowering communities. She is a founding member of AMIGAS, Inc., an organization that supports women through networking and service opportunities. She also serves on the Board of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, where she co-chaired the statewide Women’s Empowerment Leadership & Law Conference and volunteers with the American Dream Pipeline mentorship program for high school students. In recognition of her contributions, Ms. Chaly was named a Top Lawyer Under 40 by the Hispanic National Bar Association in February 2025. Her commitment to public service was sparked while participating in the New Jersey Governor’s School scholars program as a rising high school junior.

Prior to her service in state government, Ms. Chaly was Manager of Litigation and Operations at a law firm and spent more than a decade working for multinational insurance companies.

Ms. Chaly, a first-generation Guatemalan-American and lifelong New Jersey resident, holds a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Ithaca College.