The new Hudson County Executive will bring with him a new chief of staff and for the first time in county history, that role will be filled by a woman.
Hudson County Executive-elect Craig Guy has appointed governmental and political professional Jenny Davis to serve in the role when he takes office in January. With nearly three decades of experience working in politics, advocacy and government, Davis will bring her record and leadership skills to Guy’s leadership team and work alongside him to implement his agenda.
She succeeds Guy, who currently serves as chief of staff to outgoing County Executive Tom DeGise.
“There is no one better prepared to step into this critical role than Jenny Davis,” Guy said. “I have known Jenny and admired her work in New Jersey politics for years. I’m certain that Jenny will thrive in this new role and utilize her passion, skills and many working relationships with elected officials and community leaders to help me effectively manage county government.
“I’ve always believed strongly in the importance of elevating women into critical leadership positions in politics and government and this historic appointment of Jenny Davis as the first female chief of staff in Hudson County history is a reflection of that value.”
Davis most recently served as Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, where she worked as the liaison between the agency and local governments and the communities in which the Port Authority serves.
Prior to that, she was Chief Operating Officer of the Murphy for Governor 2017 campaign, and she is a former Deputy Executive Director of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee as well as a former Chief to Staff to a Hudson County state legislator.
Davis has been appointed to the New Jersey-Israel Commission and serves on multiple boards, including NJ Shares, the Union County Improvement Authority and the Union County Workforce Development Board.
“Craig Guy has dedicated his life to serving Hudson County, and he is committed to making progress on the issues that I have fought for throughout my career: protecting women’s right to choose, making our neighborhoods safer, helping working families thrive, and much more,” Davis said. “I both admire and share the commitment to public service that has defined Craig’s life. It is an honor, truly, to come back to Hudson County and I look forward to helping Craig increase opportunities for all residents.”
Davis will also serve as the Executive Director of Guy’s transition team, and she is already working to assemble a diverse, experienced group of leaders to serve on committees and develop a set of goals that will inform Guy’s policy priorities.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.