Andrea Katz Spevak has been promoted to cabinet secretary, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday.
Katz Spevak, who is currently the deputy commissioner of operations at the New Jersey Department of Human Services, will serve under Chief Policy Adviser Dennis Zeveloff.
In her role as cabinet secretary, Katz Spevak will oversee agency actions and liaise with the administration’s cabinet-level agencies and offices. She previously had served as chief of staff at Human Services since 2018 before becoming a deputy commissioner in 2022.
Katz Spevak has spent most of her professional career working in human services policy and legislative affairs. She served as associate general counsel at the New Jersey Assembly Majority Office and as chief of staff for Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle. She also worked in private practice as an attorney. Katz Spevak received her B.A. from the George Washington University and J.D. from the Seton Hall Law School.
Murphy applauded her promotion.
“Andrea has been a valued member of this administration since Day One, overseeing the groundbreaking work that our Department of Human Services has done to protect some of our most vulnerable residents,” he said. “She understands the coordination required for a well-functioning department and I am confident this wealth of experience will be an asset as she assumes the role of cabinet secretary.”
Katz Spevak welcomed the new role.
“It has been a great privilege to help lead the Department of Human Services under Commissioners Sarah Adelman and Carole Johnson as the administration has made historic advancements in access to health care and social services,” she said. “I look forward to working across government and with our dedicated state agencies to secure the governor’s legacy of a better New Jersey for all.”
