Dr. Stephen Cha is the Acting Commissioner of Human Services for the State of New Jersey, where he leads the state’s largest and most complex department, serving millions of New Jerseyans through programs that support health care coverage, behavioral health, disability services, aging services, child and family supports, and economic assistance. 

Prior to joining the Sherrill Administration, Dr. Cha served as Counselor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, advising on a wide-ranging portfolio that included the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Indian Health Service, and the Health Resources and Services Administration. His work included cross-cutting issues such as maternal health and cannabis policy, and in that role, he coordinated the federal response to major crises such as COVID-19, and led Operation Fly Formula in response to the national infant formula shortage.

Previously, Dr. Cha spent more than a decade advancing Medicaid policy and innovation at both the federal and state levels for both the public and private sector. He served as Chief Medical Officer for a large national insurance company, responsible for the care of approximately six million Medicaid and CHIP members across 29 states and the District of Columbia. His federal service also includes six years at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as the first Chief Medical Officer of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, and he led state-driven innovation for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Dr. Cha served for roughly six years as senior professional staff in the U.S. House of Representatives on the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Oversight and Government Reform. 

Additionally, he served as a part-time primary care physician for more than a decade at a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C.—experience that continues to inform his approach to human services leadership in New Jersey.

Dr. Cha is a graduate of Brown University with a bachelor of arts in political science,  and received his MD from Brown University School of Medicine, and received his masters in health services research from Yale University School of Medicine.

Kaylee McGuire is the Deputy Commissioner for Aging and Disability Services overseeing the Division of Aging Services, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Division of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, the Division of Developmental Disabilities, Division of Disability Services and supporting the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Office of the Public Guardian. 

McGuire’s background includes working with individuals with disabilities and complex medical needs. Personal caregiving experiences with aging family members led her to public service.

Before joining the Department, McGuire worked as a Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Phil Murphy, where she led on the Administration’s health and human services policy agenda and COVID-19 response. Before joining the Murphy Administration, she served as a health policy analyst in the Assembly Majority Office under Speaker Craig Coughlin, and formerly held a management role at one of the largest pediatric rehabilitation systems in the nation.

McGuire has more than ten years of experience in leading disability services, community programs, and providing recreational therapy and child life services in a variety of settings including medical day care, long-term care, and inpatient rehabilitation.

McGuire received her Master’s in Business Administration from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She was raised in Ocean County, is a loving aunt of seven, and is committed to making New Jersey more inclusive and age-friendly.

Valerie Mielke is the Deputy Commissioner for Health Services, overseeing the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services. which manages the NJFamilyCare health insurance program. NJ FamilyCare is New Jersey’s Medicaid program. She also oversees the Department’s work on First Lady Murphy’s Nurture NJ maternal health initiative and supports the Catastrophic Illness in Children’s Relief Fund.

Mielke had been the Assistant Commissioner leading the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, where she was responsible for the coordination, administration, management and supervision of the community mental health system, and regulating, monitoring, planning and funding of substance use prevention, treatment and recovery support services.  

Mielke holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairfield University and a Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University, and has been with the state for 20 years.

Mielke also serves as a board member of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors as First Vice President; on the advisory board of the Council of State Governments Justice Center; and as Secretary on the NRI Board of Directors; and she previously served on the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Board of Directors, including as president from 2019 - 2021.

Mielke has also been honored several times for her efforts, including the State Leadership Award from the National Association of State Alcohol & Drug Abuse Directors

Michael J. Wilson is the Deputy Commissioner for Social Services, overseeing the Division of Family Development, Office of New Americans and Human Services’ Office of Emergency Management.

Wilson previously served as executive director of Baltimore-based Maryland Hunger Solutions, where he developed and led efforts to increase access to nutritious foods and eliminate hunger in schools and communities. He has worked with state agencies on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Women, Infants and Children program, including successfully advocating before the Maryland General Assembly for expanded school meals.

Wilson also served as an International Vice President of the UFCW International Union and Director of the Legislative and Political Department, as well as in the U.S. Department of Labor in the Clinton Administration, where he helped to administer the Family and Medical Leave Act and laws regarding minimum wage and overtime.

In addition, he served in a leadership role in several local food councils throughout the state of Maryland, including co-chairing the Maryland Food System Resilience Council, which included state agencies, food councils, food banks, and anti-hunger advocates.
Wilson has been honored multiple times for his efforts, including winning the 2023 Henrietta Lacks Award for the research and advocacy partnership with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University.

Jade Bechelli is the Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Department of Human Services, bringing nearly two decades of experience in state government and public policy. Her commitment to public service is informed by her family’s lived experience and a longstanding dedication to strengthening systems that support children, families, and communities across New Jersey.

Throughout her career, Bechelli has worked extensively on a wide range of policy issues, including education, child care, food security, youth mental health, women’s issues, and family economic stability. Before joining the Department of Human Services, she served as a senior policy advisor to Governor Phil Murphy.

Bechelli previously spent many years in the New Jersey General Assembly, including serving as Director of Policy to the Assembly Majority Leader. In that role, she also supported several legislative committees, including the Assembly Human Services Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee.

In addition to her public service, Bechelli served as Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

She earned a master’s degree from The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and women and gender studies from Arcadia University.

Bechelli lives in Camden County with her husband, daughter, and stepson.