Jersey City Mayor James Solomon has picked Jeffrey Dessources to serve as the city’s director of innovation for youth development, a new role which will be overseen by the office of Deputy Mayor for Education Dia Bryant.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Jeff is exactly the kind of leader Jersey City needs in this role. He’s someone who has spent his career building real pathways for young people and has done that work right here in our city,” Solomon said in a statement.
“His record at NJCU, his service on our Arts Council and at PS 34, and his vision for what equity-centered youth development can look like make him a tremendous addition to our team.”
Dessources, who be paid $150,000 a year, will lead a portfolio of strategic initiatives spanning youth employment, workforce pathways, recreation innovation, and cross-sector partnerships designed to expand opportunity for Jersey City’s young people.
“Jersey City is my home, and there is no work I’d rather be doing than this. Every young person in this city deserves access to opportunity, mentorship, and the kind of pathways that turn ambition into achievement,” Dessources added.
“I’m honored to join Dr. Bryant and Mayor Solomon’s team, and to get to work alongside our schools, families, employers, and community partners to deliver for the next generation of Jersey City leaders.”
Further, he will also lead engagement with private sector, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners to scale the administration’s youth-focused priorities.
“Jeff brings a rare combination of policy depth, operational savvy, and an unwavering commitment to young people. Real innovation in youth development requires systems that work, partnerships that hold, and outcomes that measurably improve lives,” noted Bryant.
“Jeff is the right person to help translate this administration’s vision for our young people into action, and I’m proud to have him on the team.”
Dessources was most recently the director of community engagement at New Jersey City University (NJCU), also serving on the Jersey City Arts Council Board and on the P.S. 34 Barack Obama Community School Advisory Board.
All of Solomon’s nominations for directorships have been appointed by the City Council thus far.
The only one drawing up any semblance of controversy was Department of Recreation and Youth Development Director Peter Vincent, who was still appointed by a 7-2 vote earlier this month, as HCV first reported.
