Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour has named her senior leadership team, which includes two previously announced appointments, a new assistant business administrator, and four acting directors that are all familiar faces at City Hall.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Strong leadership and clear priorities are essential to delivering results for our residents. This team brings deep experience, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and service,” Jabbour said in a statement.
“Together, we are focused on making City Hall more responsive, more efficient, and more accessible to the people of Hoboken.”
The announcement comes as the new mayor is seeking to create two new departments and one new division, as HCV first reported, which her office says pairs experienced leadership with department-specific benchmarks.
Those range from identifying $1 million in savings and repaving more than 3.5 miles of roadway to launching a redesigned City website and expanding quality-of-life and public safety patrols.
Jabbour announced Christian Duffy as her chief of staff and Jennifer Gonzalez as the business administrator last month, with Diana Fortunato (Aviles) taking over as assistant business administrator on Tuesday.
She joined the city in 2022 and served as director of Parks, Recreation, and Public Works and Deputy Director of Transportation and Parking.
During her tenure, she launched the first body-worn cameras for parking enforcement officers, implemented the ParkMobile reservation system in garages, modernized parking enforcement operations, strengthened public works operations and parks maintenance, and oversaw major park expansions, the mayor’s office noted.
Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante, a former police chief, and Department of Community Development Director Christopher Brown will maintain their current roles, albeit with acting titles for the time being.
Meanwhile, Ryan Sharp is returning as the acting director of the Department of Transportation and Parking on February 23rd.
He previously led the department from 2017 to 2024, where he established Hoboken’s
Finally, the acting director of the new Department of Infrastructure will be RJ Theofield.
He joined Hoboken in 2021 and most recently served as deputy director of Climate Action & Innovation.
He has overseen a $300 million capital program, including the Waterfront Reconstruction Project to preserve and protect the waterfront for community use, implemented community-led and inclusive park designs such as Maritime Park and Tom Olivieri Park, as well as the relocation of the Public Works facility.
Jabbour also announced a nationwide search to hire a director for
For example, the Department of Administration will identify at least $1 million in operating expense reductions as well as revenue generating opportunities for council consideration and approval.
Additionally, the Department of Community Development will establish an Office of Public Counsel to assist residents facing eviction and provide tenant advocacy, similar to neighboring Jersey City’s Right-to-Counsel.
The new Department of Community Services will focus on improving recreation programming through the establishment of a new Recreation Parent Advisory Board.
They also aim to strengthen coordination among social service providers through a new Social Services Coalition which will identify services gaps and develop action plans to expand housing placements and supportive services to assist those experiencing homelessness.
Furthermore, the Department of Public Safety will expand walking patrols throughout the city and launch a Washington Street quality-of-life initiative in partnership with the Hoboken Business Alliance, while the Department of Transportation will evaluate cost effective ways to expand Hop service.
Finally, the mayor’s office will hold quarterly office hours and council members will have the ability to host community meetings in their respective wards.
“This is about building a government that delivers measurable results. We will track our progress publicly, report regularly to residents, and hold ourselves accountable for delivering on these commitments,” Jabbour concluded.
