Rutgers Law Launched Alumna to State Leadership

Jacquelyn A. Suárez RLAW’15 proudly serves as New Jersey’s first Hispanic commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), according to Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez, touches upon every aspect of a New Jerseyan's life on a daily basis.

The Rutgers Law School in Camden graduate oversees the $1.485 billion operational budget of the state agency after having spent years in progressively higher policymaking positions. The DCA’s first Hispanic commissioner is made for the moment. 

Suárez knew she wanted to go into law from a young age but was the first of her family to pursue this side of justice, as numerous family members worked in policing. After earning her bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, DC, Rutgers Law School was an easy fit—a state university where she could study and grow new professional roots. “My mom had graduated from Rutgers, so Rutgers is where I wanted to be, and so I think that's also what drove me to it,” Suárez said.

Outside of class, Suárez served as a Big Sister to a student at Camden’s LEAP Academy. As a Marshall Brennan fellow, she taught constitutional law to students at what is now Eastside High School in Camden. There, she prepared students to participate in national moot court competitions held in the nation’s capital.

Suárez recalled her Eagleton Fellowship as the most impactful experience from her time at Rutgers Law School, one that shaped the trajectory she is on today. The fellowship blends academic study in political science with an internship placement at an agency from the municipal to the federal level.

Suárez’s professors recommended she apply for an internship with the New Jersey state governor counsel’s office, a small outfit within the executive branch behind policy legislation. “When I found out about that, I knew it was a perfect intersection of everything I was looking to accomplish,” she said.

While interning with the Christie administration, Suárez witnessed the construction of the Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act (MSRA), which provided a state financial intervention for Atlantic City. “I was not shy about pestering the attorneys who were in charge and asking, ‘Can I sit in on this meeting? Can I attend that? What can I do?’ And they were happy to let me sit in on everything that was going on,” Suárez said. In a full-circle moment, Suárez, who also serves as director of the Division of Local Government Services, now oversees Atlantic City’s finances under MSRA.

After graduating from Rutgers Law, Suárez launched her career in state government at the same office she now leads: the DCA. It was there she first worked for her mentor, the late Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver. When an opportunity arose at the governor’s counsel’s office where she had interned, Suárez spoke with Oliver about the position. “I'll never forget this, because it shaped my leadership style. She said to me, ‘Jacquelyn, I don't hold my people back from good opportunities, and this is a great opportunity for you.’”

Under the Murphy administration, then-Associate Counsel Suárez’s portfolio of state clients included some of the largest departments in New Jersey. Before long, Oliver tapped Suárez to serve as Director of the Division of Local Government Services. Housed within the DCA, this division provides technical, financial, and shared services support for municipalities and counties. 

After the lieutenant governor’s sudden passing in 2023, Gov. Murphy asked Suárez to step into her mentor’s position. Suárez admitted that while she never wanted the role under those circumstances, she does hope to sustain Oliver’s legacy of working with people from both sides of the aisle.

“She evaluated things on an individual basis instead of a party line,” Suárez said. “I was fortunate enough to see that from her, and that's also how I operate. I'm not going to give a different answer based on a political affiliation. My answer is going to be based upon our rules, statutes, and the best interest of the residents we serve.”

Suárez describes being the first Hispanic DCA commissioner as humbling, recalling one story where a constituent’s young daughter saw her in a commercial and said: “Oh, I could be like her.” When she was growing up, she, too, wanted to see people who looked like her in the position to make key decisions.

“Just by being in this space, I was showing another little girl that she could do the same thing, and there weren't limits placed upon her,” Suárez said. “At the same time, I didn't get this position because of my name.” Suárez recalled seeing former N.J. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman speak on campus. Asked about being the first female governor of New Jersey, Todd Whitman instead spoke about the policies and initiatives she enacted while governor. The response has stayed with Suárez.

The skills Suárez gained at Rutgers Law continue to benefit her at the DCA. She recalled a practicum course, where, under the supervision of Associate Dean for Clinical Education Sandra Simkins, she and fellow classmates conducted criminal defense work representing juveniles in court. “It was the first experience that I had, especially as an attorney, that taught me what we do truly matters, because my advocacy is going to make or break what happens to my client,” she said. 

Suárez also looked back on her teaching assistantship with Sheila Rodriguez, who taught legal writing. “We're constantly looking for good writers, whether for policy, letters, or communication,” Suárez said. “It will serve you well, whether you're going to be a litigator, a transactional practice attorney, or in some other field.”

Suárez recalled a class in which she learned of Machiavelli’s notion to not surround yourself with “yes men,” an idea she has embraced by encouraging open dialogue among her staff.

“At the end of the day, when we have to make a decision with the governor's office on what path we're going to take, we want to know where the strengths are and where the weaknesses are, so we can make the best possible decisions for the residents of New Jersey.”