What to Know
- Acting head of the State Department of Human Services, Sarah Adelman, to become commissioner.
- Adelman has served as deputy commissioner at the department of human services, overseeing a number of divisions.
- Adelman's nomination is subject to confirmation by state Senate.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has tapped the acting head of the state Department of Human Services to become the commissioner of the large state agency.
Murphy, a Democrat, made the announcement Monday. He said Sarah Adelman has successfully led the department since taking over on an interim basis in January 2021. She stepped in after Commissioner Carole Johnson left Murphy’s Cabinet for the Biden administration, where she was tapped to oversee COVID-19 testing.
Adelman previously served as a deputy commissioner at the department, overseeing a number of divisions, including one that oversees NJ FamilyCare, which is the state’s program to provide health care for children and lower-income residents.
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She’s also served on the board of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, and before joining the Murphy administration was an executive at the New Jersey Association of Health Plans.
The Human Services Department is one of the state’s biggest agencies, with 7,400 employees and $20 billion budget, which includes state and federal funds.
Adelman’s nomination is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.
