Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that Commissioner of Education Lamont Repollet is stepping down from his role at the Department of Education to transition to president of Kean University.
“I thank Lamont for the leadership he brought to the New Jersey Department of Education over the past two and a half years,” Murphy said. “During his tenure as commissioner of education, Lamont oversaw the expansion of pre-K and facilitated changes to our statewide testing regime while working diligently to pursue equity for our students. He also has helped districts navigate the unique challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as transitioning to remote learning and preparing for the school year ahead. I know the Department will continue to build on this record of success and I wish Lamont nothing but the best in his new role as president of Kean University.”
The governor said Kevin Dehmer, chief financial officer and assistant commissioner for the Division of Finance, will take over the role in the interim while a search for a permanent successor takes place.
Prior to leaving the department, Repollet will take on an advisory role for two weeks ending July 15.
“I’m grateful to Gov. Murphy for providing me with the opportunity to serve as commissioner,” Repollet said. “I feel that we have accomplished what we set out to do: We expanded high-quality preschool into dozens of communities, created STEM opportunities for thousands of students, brought about changes to statewide assessments and, most importantly, we advanced the dialogue on equity in education. Knowing that we helped schools navigate the COVID-19 pandemic over the past few months and provided them with guidance for reopening in the fall, I feel this is an opportune time to make the transition to the new position.”
Repollet was officially named the 18th president of the Union-based university on May 11.
