Governor Jon S. Corzine

CORZINE NAMES McELWAIN ACTING DIRECTOR OF
OFFICE OF COUNTER-TERRORISM
Also Renames Fuentes to Serve as Superintendent of State Police
and Fox to Serve as BPU President
TRENTON – Governor Jon S. Corzine today named James P. McElwain Acting Director of Counter-Terrorism and renamed Colonel Rick Fuentes as Superintendent of State Police. Corzine also renamed Jeanne Fox to continue her service as President of the Board of Public Utilities.

“Government’s most important responsibility is to protect its citizens. My administration will always make homeland and hometown security a priority,� said Corzine. “Both James McElwain and Colonel Fuentes are dedicated public servants and experts in their field. New Jersey will be well protected under their continued watch.�

“I’m also proud to announce that Jeanne Fox will continue her service as President of the Board of Public Utilities,� said Corzine. “I’m committed to growing New Jersey’s economy and BPU has an important role to play in relation to the business community.�

James McElwain previously served as a state investigator at the Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT). Prior to his service at the OCT, McElwain spent 28 years with the U.S. Customs Service. During that time he worked in the Office of International Affairs in Washington D.C., the Office of Investigations in Newark, New Jersey and the American Embassies to Tokyo, Japan and Bonn, Germany. McElwain earned a B.B.A. in Finance/Economics from Iona College in New York. He lives in Avon by the Sea with his wife and they have three children.

Rick Fuentes has served as Superintendent of State Police since 2003. He enlisted with the New Jersey State Police in 1978 and has served throughout the state. Fuentes earned a Ph.D. in Criminal Philosophy from City University of New York, an M.A. in Criminal Justice from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a B.S. from Kean College. He lives in Bergen County with his wife.

Jeanne Fox has served as President of the BPU since 2002. Previously Fox served as regional administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and as Deputy and Acting Commissioner to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy. She previously served at the BPU from 1981 to 1991. Fox earned a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and a B.A. from Douglass College. She lives in New Brunswick with her husband.

The Office of Counter-Terrorism is a unit within the Department of Law and Public Safety and reports directly to the Attorney General and is charged with combating terrorism. The office works closely with federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies and serves as the liaison for state and local law enforcement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Division of State Police is part of the Department of Law and Public Safety and oversees all operational aspects of the State Police force. It enlists approximately 2,700 Troopers and 1,000 civilian personnel.

The Board of Public Utilities has jurisdiction over the rates and services of telephone, electric, gas, water and wastewater companies. It is organized under the Department of the Treasury but is independent of any supervision or control over its ratemaking functions.

Over the last three weeks, Governor Corzine has nominated or renamed the following individuals to serve in his cabinet: Bradley I. Abelow, Treasurer; Zulima Farber, Attorney General; Rolando Torres, Personnel; Sharon Harrington, Motor Vehicle Commission; Virginia Bauer, Commerce; Charles Kuperus, Agriculture; Kevin Ryan, Human Services; Ronald Chen, Public Advocate; Lisa Jackson, Environmental Protection; Nina Wells, State; Major General Glenn Rieth, Adjutant General; Fred Jacobs, Health and Senior Services; and Susan Bass-Levin, Community Affairs.

Corzine also announced that the following individuals have agreed to serve as Acting Commissioners on an interim basis: Jack Lettiere, Transportation; Donald Bryan, Banking and Insurance; and David Socolow, Labor and Workforce Development.

Additionally, Corzine announced a state and nationwide search to fill the top posts in the Department of Corrections and the Department of Education. In the interim, Corzine has asked Assistant Corrections Commissioner George Hayman and Acting Education Commissioner Lucille Davy to serve as acting commissioners.

All Department heads are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The only exception is the Secretary of Agriculture who is appointed by the Board of Agriculture with the Governor’s approval. Cabinet officers who are retained by a new administration are not required to be renominated and reconfirmed by the Senate.