Gov.
Chris
Christie
Organization—Pre-Campaign
more
recent
edition
>
(page
updated June 21, 2015)
Leadership
Matters
for
America
PAC,
Inc.
leadership PAC filed with the FEC on Jan. 23, 2015
leadershipmattersforamerica.org
Senior Advisor Mike DuHaime
One of eight partners at Mercury
Public Affairs;
heads
Mercury’s
New
Jersey
and
Pennsylvania
public
affairs
operations.
Lead
strategist
on
Gov.
Christie's
2009
and
2013
gubernatorial
election
campaigns.
Headed
the NRSC’s independent
expenditure efforts in 2010 and
2012. Political director at the RNC, started in January
2005. Northeast regional political director for Bush-Cheney
'04. Executive director of the New Jersey Republican Party
starting in January 2002. Had his own political consulting firm,
DuHaime Communications, Inc., which he formed in 2001. Deputy
campaign manager on Bob Franks' 2000 campaign for U.S. Senate.
Campaign manager on Assemblyman Anthony Bucco's successful campaign for
state Senate in 1997, ousting the Democrat incumbent. B.A. in
journalism and political science from Livingston College, Rutgers
University, 1995. DuHaime comes from a political family; his
father served as Passaic County Freeholder and ran for U.S. Senate in
1996 and his mother served as mayor of Bloomingdale. twitter
Senior Advisor Maria Comella
(from the week of June 15, 2015; reported by The Record on June 11) Moved over from the Governor's Office where she served as deputy chief of staff for communications and planning from Jan. 2010. Director of communications on Christie for Governor from June 2009. Deputy director of communications on the Rudy Giuliani campaign, Jan. 2007-Jan. 2008. Communications director for Rep. Jim Nussle's gubernatorial campaign in Iowa, May 2005-Nov. 2006. New Hampshire communications director for Bush-Cheney '04, Jan.-Nov. 2004. Worked for The Winston Group, a survey research firm in Washington, DC. Deputy director of operations on Gov. George Pataki's (R-NY) 2002 re-election campaign. M.A. in health care policy from New York University, 2014; B.A. in international affairs from the Elliot School at The George Washington University, 2003. twitter
Advisor Brian Jones
(reported by AP's Jill Colvin on March 12, 2015)
Partner
with the Black Rock Group
from Jan. 2011. A top advisor for the Romney for President
campaign from Dec. 2011 assisting with communications and strategy and
also serving as the campaign’s primary liaison to the RNC. Previously
a
managing
director
at
Mercury
Public
Affairs
overseeing
their
strategic
communications
practice
and
running
their
California
operation
in
Sacramento.
Communications
director
on
the
McCain
campaign,
Dec.
2006-July
2007.
Communications
director
at
the
RNC
from
Jan.
25,
2005.
Senior
communications
advisor
on
Bush-Cheney
'04.
Vice President for Polling and Advertising of Mercury Public
Affairs. Research director for the NRCC. Research director
on Lamar Alexander's 2000 campaign for the Republican presidential
nomination for the first part of 1999. Master's degree from
University of Washington in Seattle; undergraduate degree from
University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Advisor Kevin Shuvalov
(reported by AP's Jill Colvin on March 12, 2015)
Co-founder
(2011) and principal at Mammoth
Marketing
Group, based in Texas. Owner at Olsen &
Shuvalov, 2005-11. Southwestern regional political director at
the RNC in the 2004 cycle. Western states regional political
director on George W. Bush's 2000 campaign, started March 1999.
Special assistant at Karl Rove + Company, 1996-99. B.S. in
political science from St. Edwards University in Austin, TX.
Advisor Cary Evans
(reported by AP's Jill Colvin on March 12, 2015)
Partner at West
Meridian
LLC
from March 2007. Senior field advisor on the Rudy Giuliani
Presidential Committee, 2007-08. Western regional political
director at the RNC, 2005-07. Regional political director on
Bush-Cheney '04, June 2003-Dec. 2004. Deputy campaign manager on
Gordon Smith for U.S. Senate, 2000-02. Victory Director for
Bush-Cheney 2000 in Oregon. Executive director of the Washington
State Republican Party, 1998-2000. Legislative counsel at Roger
Honberger Associates, Inc. 1997. Staff counsel in the Washington
State Senate, 1996. Legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Barbara
Vucanovich, 1991-92. J.D. from Seattle University School of Law,
1995; M.P.P. from Georgetown University, 1988; B.A. in political
science from Claremont McKenna College, 1985.
Political Director James Garcia
(reported by AP on Jan. 26, 2015) Colorado state
director on
Romney for President in the general election after serving as the
campaign's
national field
director during the primaries. Executive director of the Colorado
Republican Party
starting Aug.
2009. Colorado Victory director from May 2008-Feb. 2009.
Regional manager for Saxby Chambliss' successful 2008 U.S. Senate
runoff campaign in Georgia. A
field director
for the Rudy Giuliani
Presidential Committee in Iowa and Florida. A field director on
Shelley Sekula Gibbs for Congress, 2006; also assisted the Tom DeLay
Congressional Committee in Sugar Land, Texas. B.A. in political
science from the University of Houston, 2006.
Field Director Tom Dickens
(reported by Politico on May 14, 2015) Deputy
national field
director at the RNC in the 2014 cycle, from Jan. 2014/ Political
director on Christie for
Governor,
Feb.-Dec. 2013. RNC Victory director in Florida, June-Feb.
2013. At the Republican Party of Wisconsin from June 2010-June
2012: RPW
political director and Victory director (March 2011-June
2012), statewide field director (March 2010-March 2011) and deputy
Victory director and absentee ballot/early vote director (July-Nov.
2010). A regional director on Scott Brown for U.S. Senate, Dec.
2009-Jan. 2010. Field director for Maine Republican Party/Victory
2008 in Fall 2008. Graduate of the University of Maine. twitter
Communications Director Samantha Smith
(reported by the New
York
Times
on Feb. 25, 2015) Senior manager for global communications and
public affairs for Google in Washington, DC from June 2011. Press
secretary to Sen Richard Burr, Jan.-June 2011; communications director
for the Richard Burr Committee, Jan.-Dec. 2010; deputy press secretary
to Sen. Burr, Feb.-Dec. 2009. Surrogate communications for the
McCain campaign, May-Nov. 2008. B.A. in communications, political
science from UNC Chapel Hill, 2008. twitter
Director of Data and Analytics Hayden Stone
(reported by Politico on May 14, 2015) A regional Victory director for the RNC in the 2014 cycle. Political director for Colorado Republicans during the 2013 recall elections. Colorado director of voter contact (May-Nov. 2012) and worked for the political division in Boston (from April 2011) on Romney for President. B.A. in history and economics from Harvard University. Ran a RNC Colorado Victory office, May-Nov. 2010. twitter
Digital Upstream
Communications
(reported March 25, 2015 by The Wall Street Journal...website development, online fundraising and email marketing)
Finance Chairman Ray Washburne
(reported by the New York Observer on Jan. 12,
2015) Finance chairman of the RNC in 2013-14. Chairman/CEO
of Charter Holdings, a private
investment company based in Dallas, Texas that is primarily involved in
the real estate and restaurant businesses. Co-founder and
co-owner of M Crowd Restaurant Group which owns the Mi Cocina and Taco
Diner restaurant chains. Worked for Austin Industries, a real
estate firm, then set out on his own. Graduate of Southern
Methodist University,
1984. See Joseph Guinto. "The New Emperor of Highland
Village." D Magazine, Nov. 2010.
Finance Director Cam Henderson
(Jan. 26, 2015 New York Times report) Executive director of the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. Chief of staff and director of protocol to NJ First Lady Mary Pat Christie.
State Director Phil Valenziano
(Jan. 26, 2015 New
York Times
report) Field staffer
on Romney's Iowa caucus campaign, then worked on field in South
Carolina, Colorado, Oklahoma and Missouri; and in the fall (from May
2012) was New Hampshire state manager. Pror to joining the
Romey campaign Valenziano worked as a legislative clerk in the Iowa
House. Victory field director in Cedar Rapids for the Republican
Party of Iowa. Graduate of Catholic University of America.
New Jersey native. twitter
Political Director Kevin Poindexter
(reported by DMR's Jennifer Jacobs on April 20,
2015) Iowa state
director for the RNC from July 2014. Political director on Mike
McFadden for U.S. Senate (MN), Dec. 2013-July 2014. Did
communications for the New Jersey Republican Party, July-Dec.
2013. Legislative assistant to Minnesota state Sen. Bill Weber
(SD-22), April-June 2013. Chief of staff/legislative assistant to
Virginia Delegate Margaret Ransone (99th District), Dec. 2012-April
2013. Special operations manager on Romney for President in
Wisconsin, July-Nov. 2012. Legilslative assistant with the
Republican Caucus in the Minnesota Hous, Jan. 2011-July 2012.
Interned on Emmer for Governor, June-Dec. 2010. B.A. in political
science and management from St. John's University in St. Cloud, Minn.,
2010. twitter
Key Supporter Jeff Boeyink
(reported by NJ Advance Media on Jan. 29, 2015 as
having "volunteered
to Governor Christie that I will do whatever he needs here in
Iowa.") Senior vice president at LS2group
from Sept. 2013. Chief of state to Gov. Terry Branstad, Jan.
2011-Sept. 2013. Campaign manager on the Branstad 2010 Committee,
Oct. 2009-Nov. 2010, then co-chair of the transition. Executive
director of the Republican Party of Iowa to Oct. 2009. Has also
worked as an association manager, PAC director, major donor
fund-raiser, and long-time lobbyist at the Iowa State Capitol.
M.P.A. from Iowa State University, 1987; undergraduate degree from
Central College in Pella.
State Director Matt Mowers
(Jan. 26, 2015 New
York Times
report) Executive director of
the New
Hampshire Republican Party from Nov. 2013
to Jan. 2015. Regional political director on Christie for
Governor, April-Nov. 2013. Regional director for legislative and
intergovernmental affairs in the Office of Gov. Chris Christie, Nov.
2010-April 2013. Campaign manager on Goodwin for NJ State Senate,
April-Nov. 2010. Advance aide in the Office of Gov. Christie,
Jan.-April 2010. Political director at Building the New Majority,
Aug. 2008-2009. Assistant to the COO at the Altman Group,
2008. Executive director of the Bergen Country Republican
Organization at age 18, Jan.-June 2008. Campaign manager on
Cardinale for NJ State Senate, July-Nov. 2007. B.A. in political
science and government from Rutgers. twitter
Deputy State Director Ben DeMarzo
(reported by the Union Leader on June 22, 2015) Campaign manager on U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus' (PA) 2014 re-election. A former chief of staff to New Jersey Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick.
Political Director Britt Carter
(reported by the
Union Leader on
June
22, 2015) Statewide field director for the New Hampshire
Republican Party from Feb. 2015; a regional field director for the
NHGOP, May 2014-Jan. 2015. Executive assistant to the chief of
staff (Jan. 2011-May 2014) and executive assistant to the chief counsel
(Sept. 2010-Jan. 2011) at the RNC. B.A. in foreign affairs from
University of Virginia, 2010. twitter
Operations Director Matt Moroney
(reported by Time
on April 2,
2015) Field director on Havenstein for Governor, April-Nov.
2014. Field director on Kevin Smith for Governor, March-Sept.
2012. Campaign representative on Romney for President, May
2011-Jan. 2012. Campaign coordinator on Angerhofer for State
Senate in District 21, Sept.-Nov. 2010. Campaign representative
on Ashooh for Congress in NH's 1st CD, March-Sept. 2010. Campaign
coordinator on Callahan for Senate (Portsmouth, NH), Aug.-Nov.
2008. B.A. in political science from UNH, 2009. twitter
other key people...
> Office of the Governor
reprinted
from
http://nj.gov/governor/admin/staff/#1 Dec. 26, 2014
Regina Egea,
Chief of Staff
Maria Comella,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Planning
Amy Cradic,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Cabinet Liaison
Christopher S.
Porrino, Chief Counsel
Paul Matey,
Deputy Chief Counsel
Matthew
McDermott, Appointments Director
Gregory L.
Acquaviva, Chief of Staff to the Lt. Governor
Terrence Brody,
Executive Director of the Office of Recovery and Rebuilding
-
Regina Egea currently serves as the Chief of Staff under Governor Chris Christie.
Prior to this assignment, Regina was the Director of the Governor’s Authorities Unit overseeing a wide variety of state Commissions and Authorities as well as multiple bi-state Authorities. Ms. Egea previously served as Chief of Staff to the State Treasurer in 2010 and 2011. Her responsibilities there included general management of all Treasury operations and she also played a leading role in developing and implementing the historic pension and benefit reforms that Governor Christie signed into law in June 2011.
Before joining state government in February 2010, Egea was a Senior Vice President with AT&T in Bedminster where she led its global sales segment marketing team. Her more than 300-person team, located in offices around the world, supported AT&T’s business sales force by delivering a full range of marketing programs. During her career at AT&T, she also led teams in areas including: business strategy development; product management; core Network Operations; Human Resource leadership; and executive succession planning.
In local government, Egea was elected in 2008 to her first term as a Committee Member in Harding Township (Morris) serving from 2009-2011 including Deputy Mayor in 2010 and 2011. She was re-elected to a second term but resigned in January of 2012. From 2003 until 2008, she was also an elected member of Harding Township’s Board of Education, serving as Vice President in her final full year.
She earned an MBA in Marketing from Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City along with a B.A. from Montclair University in New Jersey. She also completed the International Executive Program at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.
A native of Monmouth County, she resides in Harding Township with her husband and two children. -
Maria Comella, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Planning twitter ...to the PAC in mid-June 2015
Maria Comella has directed communication strategies specific to varied constituencies as part of a career dedicated to public service and issue advocacy. During college where Comella received her BA in international affairs at The George Washington University, she worked in key positions on Capitol Hill, dealing with both trade and budget issues. From there she held leadership roles on several presidential and gubernatorial campaigns, serving as New Hampshire Communication’s Director for Bush-Cheney 2004 and as Communications Director in 2006 for Iowa gubernatorial candidate, Congressman Jim Nussle.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Comella served as Mayor Rudy Giuliani's deputy Communications Director, managing a 20-person staff, crafting national and regional communication strategies and serving as campaign spokesperson.
Most recently, Comella directed communication efforts for now Governor Chris Christie's campaign in New Jersey. She is also currently pursuing a Masters degree in health care policy at New York University.
-
Amy Cradic, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Cabinet Liaison
Amy Cradic most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Christie since 2012. Her policy portfolio focused on infrastructure issues including environment, renewable energy, emergency preparedness and transportation. In addition, she provided policy guidance on treasury, tourism and gaming, and supported the Cabinet Liaison on matters of intergovernmental affairs.
With an emphasis on the state’s environmental and energy policies, Cradic worked closely with the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, providing assistance on future utility and flood control resiliency efforts. As part of her policy efforts to support gaming, she worked on a variety of issues in Atlantic City that ranged from promotional activities to social service initiatives.
Cradic joined the Policy Office staff with extensive public sector experience serving in various capacities within the Department of Environmental Protection. In her role as Assistant Commissioner of Natural and Historic Resources, she oversaw programs including coastal engineering, dam safety, historic preservation, and parks and fish and wildlife management. She provided oversight of a statewide capital construction program and helped launch a sustainable funding effort to expand recreational amenities and enhance stewardship of natural and cultural resources.
Cradic holds a Master of Arts from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree from the College of New Jersey.
-
Christopher S. Porrino, Chief Counsel
Christopher Porrino currently serves as Chief Counsel to Governor Chris Christie, having previously served as the Director of the Division of Law from February 2012 to January 2014. Under Porrino’s leadership, the Division of Law was a major difference-maker on behalf of New Jersey citizens, achieving important outcomes in historic litigation and obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments and recoveries for the State.
Prior to serving as the Director of the Division of Law, Porrino was a partner at Lowenstein Sandler PC, one of the state’s largest law firms, where he co-lead the firm’s approximately 100-attorney Litigation Department and served as a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and Operating Committee.
While at Lowenstein Sandler, Porrino represented public and private businesses and individual clients in a wide array of civil, criminal and regulatory disputes involving securities, banking, insurance, tax, antitrust, real estate and environmental matters, among others. Porrino also regularly conducted internal investigations for businesses faced with allegations of wrongdoing or suspected wrongdoing by insiders.
Prior to entering private practice, Porrino served as a law clerk to then Magistrate Judge Freda L. Wolfson, U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey.
Porrino graduated from Lehigh University in 1989 and received his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1992. He is admitted to the bars of the State of New Jersey, the State of New York, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.
Born in Teaneck and raised in Fort Lee and Englewood Cliffs, Porrino currently resides in Union County with his wife and their two children.
-
Paul Matey, Deputy Chief Counsel
Paul Matey most recently served as the Senior Counsel to Governor Christie and Chief Ethics Officer for the Governor’s Office. Among his duties, Mr. Matey supervised the development of legal advice for the Governor and managed significant litigation for the executive branch in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General.
Beginning in 2005, Mr. Matey served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of New Jersey in the Securities and Health Care Fraud Unit, and the Public Protection Unit. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Matey prosecuted a wide variety of offenses, including domestic and international child pornography networks, child exploitation, and complex white-collar crimes involving investor fraud, securities fraud, healthcare fraud, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In 2009, he received the Director's Award for Superior Performance from the United States Department of Justice.
Prior to his service as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Matey worked as an associate in the Washington, D.C. firm of Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans, and Figel, P.L.L.C., and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert E. Cowen of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Honorable John C. Lifland of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
A native of New Jersey, Mr. Matey received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Scranton in 1993, and earned his Juris Doctorate degree, summa cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2001.
-
Matthew McDermott, Appointments Director
Matthew P. McDermott serves as Appointments Director to Governor Chris Christie. In this role, he is responsible for identifying, recruiting, placing and guiding nominees for Cabinet level, judicial, prosecutorial, and volunteer authority, board, commission, and task force positions. McDermott previously was Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and oversaw the functions of the Office of Lieutenant Governor and the New Jersey Department of State. While there he focused on implementing economic growth and job creation strategies with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Business Action Center, Choose NJ, cabinet level departments and agencies, as well as business partners across the state.
McDermott returned to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development as Chief of Staff in May 2010 after nine years in the private sector. As Chief of Staff, McDermott was responsible for policy and legislative development, in addition to implementing and enhancing the Department’s community outreach and constituent relations initiatives.
Before joining the Christie Administration, McDermott was the principal at McDermott Public Affairs from 2001 to 2010. He has represented and worked with a broad base of clients that included building and construction trade unions and contractors, the pharmaceutical and medical technology industry, the maritime industry of New York and New Jersey, and non-profit workforce development agencies.
The former Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor, McDermott gained over 13 years of unique public sector experience serving in management and senior management positions in both the Legislative and Executive branches of New Jersey state government from 1990 to 2001. In doing so, he gained national recognition for business services development and outreach programs while at the Department of Labor. McDermott previously served as Director of Communications for the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
McDermott, a Cranford resident, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
-
Gregory L. Acquaviva, Chief of Staff to the Lt. Governor
Gregory Acquaviva serves as Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. As a senior member of the Christie-Guadagno Administration, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of both the Office of Lt. Governor and the New Jersey Department of State. His work focuses on coordinating and implementing statewide economic growth and job creation strategies across cabinet and executive branch departments and agencies, outside business partners, and the higher education community.
Immediately prior to his current assignment, Acquaviva served as an Assistant Counsel to Governor Christie where he provided the Governor legal advice on a wide range of constitutional, environmental, utility, agricultural, and alcohol beverage control issues. Acquaviva joined the Christie-Guadagno Administration in March 2011, serving as the Lieutenant Governor’s Legislative and Regulatory Analyst where he advised the Lt. Governor on policy, legislative, and regulatory matters.
Before joining the Administration, Acquaviva worked at Latham and Watkins, LLP and Gibbons, P.C. where he worked on complex commercial litigation. Acquaviva also served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Maryanne Trump Barry of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Honorable James R. Zazzali, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Acquaviva received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth University, summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law, summa cum laude.
A native of Middletown, Acquaviva resides in Bloomfield with his wife and three children.
-
Terrence Brody, Executive Director of the Office of Recovery and Rebuilding
Terrence S. Brody currently serves as Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, having previously served as the Deputy Executive Director of the office since its creation in December 2012. In both of these roles, Brody assisted the Governor with developing a holistic and coordinated approach to disaster recovery in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, leveraging available public and private sector resources and working with leaders from the Sate’s departments and agencies in response to a disaster that unleashed billions of dollars in damages and devastation on New Jersey’s housing, economic, infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and health and social services sectors.
Prior to joining the Governor’s office, Brody served as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of New Jersey. There, he was responsible for helping to manage a staff of more than 8,000 employees, and providing legal and policy guidance to the Attorney General, as well as the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Cabinet on a broad range of civil and regulatory matters.
Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Brody was in private practice at the law firms of Greenberg Traurig, LLP and Gibbons P.C. where he represented clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters.
Brody received his undergraduate degree from The University of Scranton and his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Brody currently resides in Chatham with his wife and three children.zzz
Political
Advisor Mike DuHaime
One of eight partners at Mercury
Public Affairs;
heads
Mercury’s
New
Jersey
and
Pennsylvania
public
affairs
operations.
Lead
strategist
on
Gov.
Christie's
2009
and
2013
gubernatorial
election
campaigns.
Headed
the NRSC’s independent
expenditure efforts in 2010 and
2012. Political director at the RNC, started in January
2005. Northeast regional political director for Bush-Cheney
'04. Executive director of the New Jersey Republican Party
starting in January 2002. Had his own political consulting firm,
DuHaime Communications, Inc., which he formed in 2001. Deputy
campaign manager on Bob Franks' 2000 campaign for U.S. Senate.
Campaign manager on Assemblyman Anthony Bucco's successful campaign for
state Senate in 1997, ousting the Democrat incumbent. B.A. in
journalism and political science from Livingston College, Rutgers
University, 1995. DuHaime comes from a political family; his
father served as Passaic County Freeholder and ran for U.S. Senate in
1996 and his mother served as mayor of Bloomingdale. twitter
see also
Republican
Governors
Association
2014
reprinted
from
http://nj.gov/governor/admin/staff/#1 May 16, 2014
Senior Staff
Kevin O’Dowd,
Chief of Staff
Louis C.
Goetting, Deputy Chief of Staff
Maria
Comella,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Planning
Amy Cradic,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Cabinet Liaison
Christopher
S.
Porrino, Chief Counsel
Paul Matey,
Deputy Chief Counsel
Matthew
McDermott, Appointments Director
Regina Egea,
Director of the Authorities Unit
Gregory L.
Acquaviva, Chief of Staff to the Lt. Governor
Marc Ferzan,
Executive Director of the Office of Recovery and Rebuilding
- Kevin O’Dowd,
Chief of
Staff [announced
resignation Nov. 14, 2014 to join Cooper Hospital]
- In
January 2012, Kevin O’Dowd began serving as Chief of Staff to New
Jersey Governor Chris Christie. From January 2010 to January 2012,
O’Dowd served as the Deputy Chief Counsel to Governor Christie.
Prior to joining the Christie Administration, O’Dowd served as the Chief of the Securities and Healthcare Fraud Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. During the seven years he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, O’Dowd prosecuted various crimes ranging from complex healthcare, securities and financial fraud matters to international child pornography distribution, cyber crimes and narcotics trafficking violations.
During his time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, O’Dowd was a frequent panelist and speaker on healthcare fraud and compliance matters. O’Dowd received numerous awards and honors from a host of federal law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Secret Service. O’Dowd was twice awarded the prestigious Integrity Award from the Inspector General of the U.S., Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Award for Excellence from the United States President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency. In 2012, Seton Hall University School of Law presented O’Dowd with the St. Thomas More Medal for his distinguished public service and outstanding contributions to the law and the community.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2003, O’Dowd served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Department of Law and Public Safety and then as an Assistant Counsel in the Office of Counsel to the Governor. O’Dowd received his B.A. from The Catholic University of America in 1994 and his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law in 1997.
A Morris county native, O’Dowd currently resides in Princeton with his wife and son.
- Louis C.
Goetting, Deputy
Chief of Staff
Lou Goetting currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Chris Christie. Prior to this position, he served as the Cabinet Secretary to Governor Chris Christie since January of 2010. In both of these roles, he led efforts on behalf of the Governor to balance the State’s budget, ensure the performance of all Departments and Agencies and advance the Governor’s agenda.
-
Lou Goetting was the principal and founder of Goetting Ahead, LLC and provided public policy consulting services to both public and private clients. Previously, Goetting was the Executive Vice President of Administration at Brookdale Community College where he lead the administrative operations and information technology of the college.
-
From 1998 -2002, Goetting served as the Vice President of Administration of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey leading the capital planning initiative of the University while managing the core administrative offices. Goetting was a member of the administration of Governor Whitman from 1994 -1998 serving as Assistant State Treasurer and Deputy State Treasurer. He joined the Whitman Administration as an established expert on municipal government and led the nationally recognized performance audit program. Lou served in municipal government from 1973 – 1994 as Administrator of three New Jersey communities. He has also served as a Commissioner for the Public Employment Relations Commission and as Chair of the NJ Pension and Benefits Review Commission.
- Maria Comella,
Deputy Chief
of Staff for Communications and Planning
Maria Comella has directed communication strategies specific to varied constituencies as part of a career dedicated to public service and issue advocacy. During college where Comella received her BA in international affairs at The George Washington University, she worked in key positions on Capitol Hill, dealing with both trade and budget issues. From there she held leadership roles on several presidential and gubernatorial campaigns, serving as New Hampshire Communication’s Director for Bush-Cheney 2004 and as Communications Director in 2006 for Iowa gubernatorial candidate, Congressman Jim Nussle.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Comella served as Mayor Rudy Giuliani's deputy Communications Director, managing a 20-person staff, crafting national and regional communication strategies and serving as campaign spokesperson.
Most recently, Comella directed communication efforts for now Governor Chris Christie's campaign in New Jersey. She is also currently pursuing a Masters degree in health care policy at New York University.
- Amy Cradic,
Deputy Chief of
Staff for Policy and Cabinet Liaison
Amy Cradic most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Christie since 2012. Her policy portfolio focused on infrastructure issues including environment, renewable energy, emergency preparedness and transportation. In addition, she provided policy guidance on treasury, tourism and gaming, and supported the Cabinet Liaison on matters of intergovernmental affairs.
With an emphasis on the state’s environmental and energy policies, Cradic worked closely with the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, providing assistance on future utility and flood control resiliency efforts. As part of her policy efforts to support gaming, she worked on a variety of issues in Atlantic City that ranged from promotional activities to social service initiatives.
Cradic joined the Policy Office staff with extensive public sector experience serving in various capacities within the Department of Environmental Protection. In her role as Assistant Commissioner of Natural and Historic Resources, she oversaw programs including coastal engineering, dam safety, historic preservation, and parks and fish and wildlife management. She provided oversight of a statewide capital construction program and helped launch a sustainable funding effort to expand recreational amenities and enhance stewardship of natural and cultural resources.
Cradic holds a Master of Arts from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree from the College of New Jersey.
- Christopher S.
Porrino,
Chief Counsel
Christopher Porrino currently serves as Chief Counsel to Governor Chris Christie, having previously served as the Director of the Division of Law from February 2012 to January 2014. Under Porrino’s leadership, the Division of Law was a major difference-maker on behalf of New Jersey citizens, achieving important outcomes in historic litigation and obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments and recoveries for the State.
Prior to serving as the Director of the Division of Law, Porrino was a partner at Lowenstein Sandler PC, one of the state’s largest law firms, where he co-lead the firm’s approximately 100-attorney Litigation Department and served as a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and Operating Committee.
While at Lowenstein Sandler, Porrino represented public and private businesses and individual clients in a wide array of civil, criminal and regulatory disputes involving securities, banking, insurance, tax, antitrust, real estate and environmental matters, among others. Porrino also regularly conducted internal investigations for businesses faced with allegations of wrongdoing or suspected wrongdoing by insiders.
Prior to entering private practice, Porrino served as a law clerk to then Magistrate Judge Freda L. Wolfson, U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey.
Porrino graduated from Lehigh University in 1989 and received his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1992. He is admitted to the bars of the State of New Jersey, the State of New York, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.
Born in Teaneck and raised in Fort Lee and Englewood Cliffs, Porrino currently resides in Union County with his wife and their two children.
- Paul Matey,
Deputy Chief
Counsel
Paul Matey most recently served as the Senior Counsel to Governor Christie and Chief Ethics Officer for the Governor’s Office. Among his duties, Mr. Matey supervised the development of legal advice for the Governor and managed significant litigation for the executive branch in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General.
Beginning in 2005, Mr. Matey served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of New Jersey in the Securities and Health Care Fraud Unit, and the Public Protection Unit. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Matey prosecuted a wide variety of offenses, including domestic and international child pornography networks, child exploitation, and complex white-collar crimes involving investor fraud, securities fraud, healthcare fraud, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In 2009, he received the Director's Award for Superior Performance from the United States Department of Justice.
Prior to his service as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Matey worked as an associate in the Washington, D.C. firm of Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans, and Figel, P.L.L.C., and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert E. Cowen of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Honorable John C. Lifland of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
A native of New Jersey, Mr. Matey received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Scranton in 1993, and earned his Juris Doctorate degree, summa cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2001.
- Matthew
McDermott,
Appointments Director
Matthew P. McDermott serves as Appointments Director to Governor Chris Christie. In this role, he is responsible for identifying, recruiting, placing and guiding nominees for Cabinet level, judicial, prosecutorial, and volunteer authority, board, commission, and task force positions. McDermott previously was Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and oversaw the functions of the Office of Lieutenant Governor and the New Jersey Department of State. While there he focused on implementing economic growth and job creation strategies with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Business Action Center, Choose NJ, cabinet level departments and agencies, as well as business partners across the state.
McDermott returned to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development as Chief of Staff in May 2010 after nine years in the private sector. As Chief of Staff, McDermott was responsible for policy and legislative development, in addition to implementing and enhancing the Department’s community outreach and constituent relations initiatives.
Before joining the Christie Administration, McDermott was the principal at McDermott Public Affairs from 2001 to 2010. He has represented and worked with a broad base of clients that included building and construction trade unions and contractors, the pharmaceutical and medical technology industry, the maritime industry of New York and New Jersey, and non-profit workforce development agencies.
The former Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor, McDermott gained over 13 years of unique public sector experience serving in management and senior management positions in both the Legislative and Executive branches of New Jersey state government from 1990 to 2001. In doing so, he gained national recognition for business services development and outreach programs while at the Department of Labor. McDermott previously served as Director of Communications for the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
McDermott, a Cranford resident, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
- Regina Egea,
Director of
the Authorities Unit
Regina Egea currently serves as the Director of the Authorities Unit under Governor Chris Christie.
Prior to this assignment, Regina was Chief of Staff to the State Treasurer. Her responsibilities included general management of all Treasury operations and she also played a leading role in developing and implementing the historic pension and benefit reforms that Governor Christie signed into law in June 2011.
Before joining state government in February 2010, Egea was a Senior Vice President with AT&T in Bedminster where she led its global sales segment marketing team. Her more than 300-person team, located in offices around the world, supported AT&T’s business sales force by delivering a full range of marketing programs. During her career at AT&T, she also led teams in areas including: business strategy development; product management; core Network Operations; Human Resource leadership; and executive succession planning.
In local government, Egea was elected in 2008 to her first term as a Committee Member in Harding Township (Morris) serving from 2009-2011 including Deputy Mayor in 2010 and 2011. She was re-elected to a second term but resigned in January of 2012. From 2003 until 2008, she was also an elected member of Harding Township’s Board of Education, serving as Vice President in her final full year.
She earned an MBA in Marketing from Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City along with a B.A. from Montclair University in New Jersey. She also completed the International Executive Program at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.
A native of Monmouth County, she resides in Harding Township with her husband and two children.
- Gregory L.
Acquaviva, Chief
of Staff to the Lt. Governor
Gregory Acquaviva serves as Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. As a senior member of the Christie-Guadagno Administration, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of both the Office of Lt. Governor and the New Jersey Department State. His work focuses on coordinating and implementing statewide economic growth and job creation strategies across cabinet and executive branch departments and agencies, outside business partners, and the higher education community.
Immediately prior to his current assignment, Acquaviva served as an Assistant Counsel to Governor Christie where he provided the Governor legal advice on a wide range of constitutional, environmental, utility, agricultural, and alcohol beverage control issues. Acquaviva joined the Christie-Guadagno Administration in March 2011, serving as the Lieutenant Governor’s Legislative and Regulatory Analyst where he advised the Lt. Governor on policy, legislative, and regulatory matters.
Before joining the Administration, Acquaviva worked at Latham and Watkins, LLP and Gibbons, P.C. where he worked on complex commercial litigation. Acquaviva also served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Maryanne Trump Barry of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Honorable James R. Zazzali, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Acquaviva received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth University, summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law, summa cum laude.
A native of Middletown, Acquaviva resides in Bloomfield with his wife and three children.
- Marc Ferzan,
Executive
Director of the Office of Recovery and Rebuilding
In December 2012, Marc Ferzan was appointed by Governor Chris Christie to lead the newly created Office of Recovery and Rebuilding in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Ferzan returned to public service from PwC Advisory, where he was a Managing Director in the firm’s investigative consulting practice.
Ferzan previously served as part of the front office management team at the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General as Executive Assistant Attorney General. There, he was responsible for helping to manage a staff of more than 8,000 employees, and providing legal and policy guidance on a broad range of civil and regulatory matters to the Attorney General, as well as the Governor and Lt. Governor, Statehouse staff, and executive-level management of Departments and Agencies of New Jersey State government.
Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Ferzan served for more than eight years as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey, where he held various leadership positions, including Chief of the Commercial Crimes Unit, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Acting Deputy and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney. He also previously served as a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division and Senior Counsel with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement. During his tenure as a prosecutor, Ferzan received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Director’s Award from the U.S. Department of Justice; the Inspector General’s Award from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; and the Award for Excellence from the United States President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
Ferzan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 from Rutgers College and his law degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1992.
Others
The Bergen Record's Melissa Hayes reported on May 29 that there were 148 employees in the governor's office. Among them were:
Deputy Communications Director Kevin Roberts
Deputy Communications Director for Research Foster Morss ...both worked on the 2013 campaign
Press Secretary Mike Drewniak
Deputy Press Secretary Karen Wolfe
Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Dolan
Director of Digital Media Lauren Fritts
Multimedia Specialist Mykwain Gainey
Director of Scheduling Kyle Maxwell
Director of Planning Dan Robles
Director of Advance Jim Gilroy
Director of Briefings Ronald Holden
Melissa Hayes. "Christie staffers get hefty pay increases; some of the biggest go to former campaign aides," Bergen Record, May 29, 2014.