Kimberly McFadden Guadagno
Age: 53
Place of birth: Waterloo, Iowa.
Where you live: Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Job Description: As New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor and 33rd Secretary of State, my responsibilities are unique and diverse. In the former role, Governor Christie has entrusted me with overseeing the state’s economic development policy to proactively retain, relocate and expand business in New Jersey. This also includes pursuing comprehensive reforms to the state’s regulatory structure to further enhance its competitiveness and attractiveness to companies. The traditional role of Secretary of State welcomes different yet equally fulfilling duties. This includes enhancing New Jersey’s portfolio of tourism, arts, history and cultural programming, managing statewide volunteerism efforts, and ensuring the fairness and transparency of the democratic process as the state’s chief elections official.
Why I chose this career: Whether as a federal prosecutor, ranking member of the State of New Jersey’s Attorney General Office, Monmouth County Sheriff, or now the state’s first Lieutenant Governor, two common themes have defined my professional career: respect for rule of law and the desire to make a difference through public service. The latter is particularly important in my current role, and nowhere was this clearer than in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. During the storm to this very moment, the Christie Administration continues to do everything possible to comfort and assist those devastated by Sandy. Under my purview, this entails organizing and coordinating the state’s volunteerism and donation efforts, while providing prompt and streamlined assistance – financial, regulatory or otherwise – to impacted New Jersey’s businesses. Without question, being able to play a small part in our ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts made the decision to pursue a career in public service all the more rewarding.
The proudest moment of my career: The proudest moment of my career was being elected the first Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey’s history. It afforded me the opportunity to set a precedent and forge a legacy for those that follow in this office, while serving as an inspiration for other women to pursue a career in politics. This is not only true at the state level, but at the county, municipal and local levels as well.
I celebrate my Irish heritage by: Taking lifelong inspiration from the achievements of Irish Americans in every walk of life. Whether in business, law, politics, literature, the arts, or as educators, the contributions of Irish Americans to building this nation and making us the greatest country in the world are profound and incomparable.
Biography
Kim Guadagno was elected New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor in November 2009 and was sworn into office on January 19, 2010. In addition to serving as the Lt. Governor, Kim Guadagno serves as the 33rd Secretary of State. Lt. Governor Guadagno oversaw the economic development strategy by establishing a coordinated public/ private approach to retaining and attracting businesses. From a loss of 177,000 private sector jobs in 2009 alone, the state has seen more than 75,000 private sector jobs created since the Christie/Guadagno Administration took office. As the Secretary of State, Lt. Governor Guadagno is New Jersey’s chief election official, overseeing promotion of the state’s $38 billion tourism industry and administers programs related to volunteerism, the arts, culture and history.
Lt. Governor Guadagno began her public service career as a federal prosecutor with the Organized Crime & Racketeering Strike Force in Brooklyn, New York and later served became an Assistant United States Attorney in Newark. After her federal service, Guadagno served as a ranking member of the State of New Jersey Attorney’s General’s Office. In 2001, Kim Guadagno left the public sector to practice law closer to home and became a teacher at Rutgers University School of Law-Newark. In 2007, Kim Guadagno was elected as the first woman sheriff in Monmouth County’s history, responsibilities that included management of a 650-member law enforcement agency encompassing the county jail, the county 911 communications center and a law enforcement department of 100 men and women. Kim Guadagno was born in Waterloo, Iowa and is a cum laude graduate of Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. She received her juris doctorate degree, cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. Lt. Governor Guadagno and her husband currently reside in Monmouth Beach with their three sons.