Gov. Mikie Sherrill named Kevin Dehmer as her selection to be the state’s next chief technology officer Feb. 2, overseeing the New Jersey Office of Information Technology.
As the state government’s CTO, Dehmer’s task is to advance the modernization of New Jersey’s digital infrastructure, improve the efficiency and transparency of the state permitting process, adopt technologies to clear licensure backlogs and reduce wait times, and strengthen our cybersecurity capabilities against AI-driven challenges to position New Jersey for long-term success.
Dehmer would succeed Christopher Rein who retired from his role at the state’s Office of Information Technology on Jan. 30. Rein was CTO since May 2018.
Government efficiency and transparency were two prominent themes of the Sherrill campaign. She signed two executive orders on the first day of her administration establishing the Office of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) within the Office of the Governor – a position intended to drive efficiency, transparency, and accountability across state government and reducing permitting delays and costs, boosting accountability in the permitting and regulatory process, and expanding transparency into how taxpayer dollars are spent.
“I am pleased to announce Kevin Dehmer as my choice to lead the New Jersey Office of Information Technology. Kevin is a trusted and experienced public servant who has dedicated his career to strengthening our state’s nation-leading public education system. In doing so, he has implemented impressive reforms to modernize New Jersey’s education data systems,” said Gov. Sherrill.
“I look forward to working with Kevin to institute similar modernization efforts across our state’s digital infrastructure. Improving how our state government uses technology is fundamental to eliminating bureaucracy and saving our residents time and money.”
Since 2024, Dehmer has served as commissioner of the Department of Education, where he implemented statewide education policy for more than 600 public school districts and administered more than a third of the state’s overall budget to support public schools. During his time as commissioner, Dehmer led a comprehensive redesign of the state’s educational data systems to advance research, program evaluation and improve data quality.
Previously, Dehmer served as the executive director and senior researcher at the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, where he led a nationally recognized research center, managed a multidisciplinary team, and augmented the technical capacity of the New Jersey Statewide Data System.
Earlier in his career, he spent more than 15 years at the Department of Education in a variety of leadership roles.
“As a lifelong public servant, I am honored for the opportunity to continue serving New Jersey as the state’s chief technology officer,” said Dehmer. “I look forward to supporting Gov. Sherrill’s efforts to bolster our state’s digital infrastructure, ensuring state agencies can serve New Jersey residents more effectively and efficiently while also maintaining a strong emphasis on cybersecurity.”
