Governor-Elect Christie Announces Lt. Governor-Elect Kim Guadagno As New Jersey Secretary Of State

Guadagno Will Lead Economic Development Efforts to Create Jobs & Grow Economy

Trenton, NJ – Governor-Elect Chris Christie today announced Lieutenant Governor-Elect Kim Guadagno as New Jersey’s next Secretary of State. Christie cited Lieutenant Governor-Elect Guadagno’s record as a tough, independent and experienced former prosecutor and Chief Executive of Monmouth County’s largest law enforcement agency.

Governor-Elect Christie said, “Kim has been an extraordinarily capable member of my leadership team and our transition efforts, and I’ve tasked her specifically with the critical task of leading my administration’s economic development efforts. Our campaign was about reviving our economy, creating good, lasting jobs and getting our state back on track. I am honored to have Lieutenant Governor-Elect Guadagno’s continued service in this expanded role as we put New Jerseyans back to work and meet the many fiscal challenges our state faces.”

Guadagno is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, where she served as Deputy Director of the Division of Criminal Justice and Deputy Chief of the Corruption Unit. Guadagno was elected as Monmouth County Sheriff in 2007, where she served as Chief Executive of the county’s largest law enforcement agency. This included managing an annual budget of $65 million, a 695 member team and three divisions including the Law Enforcement Division, Correctional Facility, and Youth Detention Center. Guadagno was elected as New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor on November 3rd, 2009.

In addition to the traditional duties of the New Jersey Secretary of State, Guadagno will be charged with leading the development and implementation of the “New Jersey Partnership For Action,” a new agency within the Department of State to consolidate the state’s fragmented economic development activities.

The New Jersey Partnership For Action will serve as a one-stop shop for new businesses to make opening in or relocating to New Jersey easier. This agency will walk new companies through the regulatory process and assist with tax incentives to make the process more efficient. By creating these public-private partnerships to implement economic growth strategies, New Jersey will more successfully foster private sector job growth.

Lieutenant Governor-Elect Guadagno said, “I am humbled to have the opportunity to serve my fellow New Jerseyans in this capacity. New Jersey faces great challenges, but I firmly believe that there are always opportunities in the challenges we face. Our state is in need of new, creative solutions to make it a place where businesses and the jobs they bring can flourish. I am confident that with the New Jersey Partnership for Action we will serve our new and homegrown businesses to create sustainable, quality jobs and grow our economy.”

The New Jersey Secretary of State oversees 16 separate departments and agencies within the Department of State, including the Divisions of Elections, Travel and Tourism, Community Service, Archives and Records Management, and the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism.

The mission of the Department of State is to advance and support the arts, heritage, and historic record of New Jersey through public participation in cultural programs, quality of life initiatives and community service activities. The Department is committed to educating and empowering the State’s citizens in the areas of faith and community based service, history, the arts, and the collection of fine and decorative art objects, ethnological and archeological material, and scientific specimens. The Department also provides records administration and records management services to the State’s citizens.