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Contact information for DCF executive staff 

Meet the Commissioner 

View the DCF Table of Organization 

Please find below the Department of Children and Families executive staff biographies (listed alphabetically).

Katie Bourgault
Nicole Brossoie
Rebecca Bryan
Jason Butkowski
Nancy Carre Lee
Carmen Diaz-Petti
Steven Dodson
Bonny E. Fraser, Esq.
Mollie Greene
Linda Holland
Laura Jamet
Anna D. Martinez
Amanda O'Reilly
Florence Racine
Brian C. Ross, Esq.
Sanford Starr
Katherine L. Stoehr
Jessica Trombetta

Katie Bourgault

Director, Office of Family Voice

Katie Bourgault is a leader with nearly 20 years of experience in child welfare, and expertise in family and youth engagement and leadership, stakeholder collaboration, and staff development. Her background in trauma informed care, program implementation, and systems transformation align well with DCF's Strategic Plan and goals. Katie is from the Capacity Building Center for States, which provides technical assistance to public child welfare agencies. Katie led the Center's knowledge management and research efforts, working closely with individuals and families with lived expertise, and she also served on the steering committees for the Center's Racial Equity and Prevention/Family First Initiatives. Katie has been an adjunct professor in the Center for Child Advocacy at Montclair State University and a Training Coordinator for the Rutgers School of Social Work Institute for Families. She earned her Master of Arts from Columbia University's Teacher's College and her Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University.

 

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Nicole Brossoie

Chief of Staff  

Nicole is responsible for providing direction, supervision, and leadership for the Office of Public Affairs overseeing communications, social media strategy, publications, as well as community and external relations, including legislative affairs.  Promoting the departments’ program objectives and initiatives with the general public, system partners, local officials, state legislators and the media. 

Nicole has over 25 years of experience in public policy, public affairs, advocacy and community outreach in government and the private sector. Prior to joining DCF, Nicole served for 11 years as Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs at the Department of Human Services, where she contributed to both policy and media discussions on issues familiar and similar to those in DCF, such as, services to people with developmental disabilities, child care initiatives and behavioral health programs. 

She also worked as a lobbyist for many years, advocating for hospital and health care initiatives – in-house for a trade organization and by-contract at two Trenton-based law firms.  She began her public service career as a communications specialist working for the New Jersey General Assembly.  

Nicole has fostered and adopted through DCF’s Resource Family program, which gives her a unique perspective in this role.

 

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Rebecca Bryan

Executive Director, Office of Resilience

Rebecca Bryan is from Rutgers University School of Nursing-Camden, where she was Director of Community Engagement and Professional Development. There, she and her colleagues discovered that the risk factors for wound generation and poor healing overlap with the risk factors generated by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). She also supervised three cohorts of AmeriCorps members in COVID vaccine and testing initiatives, targeting underserved populations. As a nurse, Rebecca saw firsthand the intersection of adversity and complex medical histories in patients, causing her to focus her doctoral project on Getting to the Root of Why. Additionally, she founded and directed the UrbanPromise Ministries Wellness Center in Camden, during which time she was first introduced to the science generated by ACEs research. She has decades of experience as a nurse, primary care nurse practitioner, a social justice advocate, a clinical instructor and wellness lecturer and presenter. Rebecca is well-published in healthcare journals and participated as a member of the NJ and Philadelphia ACEs Task Forces. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Nursing from Gwynedd-Mercy College, her Master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Rutgers University in Camden; she holds certifications in Adult Learning and Lakeside Global Institute's Trauma Competency (60 week training).

 

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Jason Butkowski

Director of Communications

Jason Butkowski has served in the role of Director of Communications for the NJ Department of Children and Families since 2018. He supports the messaging, branding, and promotion of the Department’s efforts to keep all New Jersey residents safe, healthy, and connected through a broad continuum of prevention- and protection-oriented services and supports that focus on the well-being of the entire family unit.

Prior to joining NJ DCF, Jason worked at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, managing internal communications to the University’s 17,500 faculty and staff members during a time when The University of Medicine and Dentistry was being integrated into Rutgers—the largest public higher education merger in U.S. history.  He has also worked as Assistant Communications Director for the NJ Senate Democratic Caucus,  where he launched the caucus’ digital and social media operations.

Jason is an alum of the College of New Jersey, where he earned a BA in Journalism and Professional Writing with a concentration in TV/Radio communications and mass media production.

 

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Nancy Carre Lee

Executive Director, Office of Staff Health and Wellness

Nancy Carre-Lee currently serves as the DCF Executive Director of the Office of Staff Health and Wellness.  Nancy holds an MSW from Rutgers University and began her career in child welfare in 1994 as a protective service caseworker. She has served in various supervisory positions and has extensive knowledge and experience in investigative practices, permanency, and adoption operations. In her role as Executive Director, Nancy provides management and leadership to the Department for activities regarding staff health and wellness to ensure that public servants who dedicate their professional lives to working with highly traumatized clients are working in environments that provide state of the art supports to them. Nancy also engages in a continuous study of the changing needs and concerns of the DCF workforce to promote wellness physical and psychological safety. 

Prior to the role of Executive Director, Nancy served as the Deputy Director of Operations at the NJ Division of Child Protection and Permanency where she provided support to the Assistant Commissioner of Child Protection and Permanency in overseeing all aspects of management and operations. Nancy has experience in reviewing, collaborating, and analyzing child welfare practices in effort to implement and sustain best case practice.

 

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Carmen Diaz-Petti

Deputy Commissioner, Administration

Carmen Diaz-Petti, LCSW, is Deputy Commissioner of Administration with the Department of Children and Families, overseeing Human Resources, Information Technology, Training, Facilities, Emergency Management and Security. Here, she is working to modernize DCF’s workforce and technology to meet the needs of a 21st century child and family serving agency.

Prior to this role, she served as Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P), playing an integral part in the reform and transformation of child welfare in New Jersey as a champion of the Case Practice Model and several quality improvement initiatives. Carmen has also served as an Area Director and Local Office Manager for DCP&P, and understands the challenges facing front-line workers in the field.

Before joining DCF, she worked for 10 years at Catholic Charities as an Assistant Division Director for the Youth Services Division and Behavioral Health. She has also held positions providing counseling assistance to victims of physical and sexual abuse, and to children with social or behavioral health challenges.

Carmen earned her B.A. from Rutgers University in Psychology and an MSW from the Rutgers School of Social Work. She is also a NJ Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

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Steven Dodson

Chief Financial Officer 

Steven Dodson is the New Jersey Department of Children and Families' chief financial officer.  He is responsible for the fiscal operations of the department, including contracting, accounting, procurement, budgeting, and revenue.  Prior to his appointment as CFO, Mr. Dodson was DCF's budget director for two years. In this role, he has been responsible for managing all aspects of the department’s budget planning, quarterly spending plans, department-wide expenditures, and overseeing the salary monitoring process and federal grant programs. 

Prior to working at DCF, Steven served at the State’s Office of Information Technology, first as Assistant Director of Financial Management and was later promoted to Director. Among his many responsibilities, Steven managed all budgetary activities including supervising staff, directed the preparation of OIT’s annual and capital budget, managed procurement processes, developed fiscal projection models and prepared quarterly spending plans.

Steven has close to twenty years working in state government, starting his career as a Program Analyst at the Department of Treasury.  He has worked in different capacities at various other state entities, including the Department of Human Services and the Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Steven earned a B.S. in Management from Rutgers University and an M.B.A. with specialization in Finance from LaSalle University. 

 

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Bonny E. Fraser, Esq.

Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Legal Affairs, and Compliance

Bonny Fraser is Deputy Commissioner with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. She has nearly 30 years of public service expertise in operations, legal counsel, policy and regulatory affairs. For the most recent 16 years, Ms. Fraser has focused her work in social services, offering support and guidance on matters involving Human Resources, Employee Relations, Ethics, strategic planning and special projects.

In her current role, she oversees the offices of Legal Affairs, Licensing, Institutional Abuse Investigations, Auditing, Records Production, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Interstate Services, Employee Relations, Education and Grants Management.

Prior to this position, she was Assistant Commissioner for Legal Affairs with the Department of Human Services, at which she directed a wide range of work, including the department’s compliance and risk management activities, managed tort and employment litigations, administered contract policy and management and was liaison to the Office of the Attorney General.

Ms. Fraser has previously held various titles in roles with the State Ethics Commission, the Office of Information Technology, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Office of the Governor.

She earned her Juris Doctor and Masters of Public Policy at Vermont Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wheaton College. 

 

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Mollie Greene

Assistant Commissioner, Children's System of Care

The Children's System of Care has been an integral component to meet the emotional, behavioral, substance use treatment and developmental needs of New Jersey’s children and their families.  It is a seamless platform: staff collaborating with providers around the state to ensure that children facing mental health challenges, addiction issues, or developmental and intellectual disabilities have access to best and leading practice care and treatment. 

Mollie has been a member of the DCF family since 2014, serving in the role of Director of Clinical Services, where she leads a broad portfolio of services connected to the health and behavioral health of children served by the Department.  Through the Office of Clinical Services, Mollie and her team manage the Child Health and Child and Family Nurse Programs that deliver health care case management for children in out-of-home placement.  She also oversees the Department’s forensic medical and psychological services, including the Regional Diagnostic and Treatment Centers (RDTC).  She has developed DCF’s Peer Recovery Support program for child welfare-involved parents with substance use disorders, and she leads the Department’s work to develop plans of safe care for substance-affected infants. 

In particular, Mollie’s work to support families struggling with substance use disorders has been visionary, and she’s viewed not just in New Jersey, but nationally, as an expert on these issues.  Mollie’s work with DCF frequently brings her into contact with federal regulators and state policymakers and leaders on addiction and behavioral health issues, and these relationships will serve her well in her new role within the Department.

Prior to joining DCF, Mollie worked in the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services with the New Jersey Department of Human Serves as Assistant Division Director for the Office of Care Management, focusing her work on the behavioral health components of New Jersey’s Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver.  She also served as Deputy Director of Quality Assurance within DHS, providing oversight for that Department’s addiction recovery, treatment, licensure and supportive housing offices.  Before joining New Jersey State government, Mollie worked in the nonprofit arena in the areas of substance abuse and addiction recovery. 

Mollie holds a Master’s degree in American Literature from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and a BA from Temple University in English with a concentration in Women’s Studies.  She is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor through the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Licensure Committee of the NJ Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners.

 

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Linda Holland

Director, Information Technology

Linda Holland is the Director of Information Technology for the New Jersey Department of Children and Families.  In this role, Ms. Holland serves as a member of the department's executive management team and is responsible for providing leadership, vision, planning and management for all areas of information technology.  This includes directing all IT operations to meet the department's goals and objectives as well as the support and maintenance of existing infrastructure, applications, and development of new technical solutions.

Ms. Holland brings over 24 years of experience in child welfare/information technology and was instrumental in the successful completion of the Department's SACWIS system (NJS).  Additionally, Ms. Holland collaborated with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Human Services to launch the Kinship Legal Guardianship and Relative Care initiatives.  Ms. Holland continually works with other state agencies on various initiatives, such as data warehousing, mobility and data security. 

Ms. Holland's personal academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kean College in Union, NJ and a Master's degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, NY. 

 

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Laura Jamet

Assistant Commissioner, Division of Child Protection and Permanency

Laura served as Deputy Director of Operations in DCP&P. In that role, she has been a key contributor and coordinator on the implementation of Solution Based Casework (SBC), and on the creation and implementation of a Continuous Quality Improvement framework for the division. She also provided oversight and support for daily division operations.

Prior to DCF, Laura served as Executive Director of the Office of Strategy, Innovation and Planning, and Director of Performance Improvement with the Administration for Children's Services in New York City. There, she helped to guide strategic planning and systems change for child welfare reform efforts. She helped to design and implement their Division of Child Protection's Continuous Quality Improvement model, was responsible for staff development and coaching, and was a core member of their ChildStat re-launch team.

In previous roles, Laura worked for Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York as a multisystemic therapy clinical supervisor and then as Program Director. She also worked at Saint Dominic's Home in the Bronx and did clinical work at several locations, including for Capital Health System in Trenton, at the New York State Psychiatric Institute's General Clinical Research Unit, and at SUNY State College of Optometry, both in New York City.

Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and History from The George Washington University, and her Master of Science in Social Work, Advanced Clinical Practice Health, Mental Health and Disabilities from Columbia University School of Social Work.

 

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Anna D. Martinez

Director, Division on Women

Anna D. Martinez has extensive experience on the federal level working on violence prevention, human trafficking, public safety and victims' rights issues.  From 2009 to 2017, she was an appointee in the Administration of President Barack Obama, working in various capacities within the administration.  She served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office on Violence Against Women, overseeing several successful public awareness campaigns, as well as supporting the Director of the office on key policy decisions.  She assisted in the creation and launch of Attorney General Eric Holder's "Defending Childhood" initiative to reduce children's exposure to violence and mitigate its negative effects. 

Ms. Martinez also served as Chief of Staff for the Office for Victims of Crime, supporting victims' rights and services, and was detailed to the White House as a Policy Specialist in the Office of Vice President Joe Biden, advising the White House Violence Against Women Advisor, and coordinating the interagency White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.  The intersection of her work on behalf of victims of violence and in mitigating childhood trauma resulting from exposure to violence speaks directly to the opportunities we have to integrate DOW's programs with the overall departmental mission of supporting families and preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs.

Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Ms. Martinez served as Deputy Political Director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and was a Civil Rights Analyst with the Department of Justice from 2000 – 2004, where she received the US Department of Justice Special Achievement Award for her work to support voting rights.  She is fluent in Spanish, with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Arts in Spanish from Columbia University.  At Columbia, she was a recipient of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences President's Fellowship.  Ms. Martinez, originally from Edison, is excited to return to her home state to continue working on critical issues affecting women throughout New Jersey. 

 

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Amanda O'Reilly

Assistant Commissioner, Analytics and Systems Improvement

Amanda O"Reilly previously served as the inaugural Director of the Office of Research, Evaluation and Reporting, which collaborates with DCF's program and system partners to measure organizational performance, evaluates the impact of DCF's programs, and complies with state and federal reporting requirements. ​

Amanda has been with DCF since 2012 and has helped to build an organizational culture that uses evidence and promotes data-driven decision making.  She's worked to implement best practices in data management and measurement, grow DCF's research and evaluation portfolio, oversee DCF's Research Review Committee, renegotiate the Sustainability & Exit Plan, and has provided guidance on the design and implementation of multiple systems improvement projects.  

Prior to joining DCF, Amanda worked as a Research Scientist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia leading various population and health services research studies and evaluation projects, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the East African country of Tanzania. Amanda earned her Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University and a Master's Degree in Public Health with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of California at Berkeley.  

As Assistant Commissioner, Amanda will oversee the Office of Quality and DCF's two new Offices: the Office of Applied Research and Evaluation, and the Office of Data Management and Reporting.

 

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Florence Racine

Director, Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging

Florence Racine previously served as Assistant Director in our Office of Quality. Florence has been with DCF since 1996, working in a host of positions, including Performance Management, Case Practice Model Implementation, Quality Improvement, IAIU and child protection.

Her work in Race Equity began over 15 years ago while collaborating on a project with the State of Michigan to study overrepresentation of children of color in their child welfare system. She learned that at every point along the child welfare continuum, there are disparate outcomes based on race, gender identity and sexual orientation. As a contributing member of the ChildStat/QR process and DCF's Race Equity Steering Committee, she has shared her research, insight and passion for change.

Florence has nearly 30 years of experience in government and child welfare. She is a licensed social worker with expertise in analyzing quality of service and developing and implementing effective strategies for improvement on a state level.

In the Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging, Florence will coordinate the work of the department's Race Equity Steering Committee, develop and implement initiatives that promote equitable outcomes for children and families of color, build the capacity of staff to respond effectively to structural racism, individual and implicit bias, and promote culturally competent policy and practice within DCF and among our contracted services.

 

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Brian C. Ross, Esq.

Assistant Commissioner for Legal, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs

Brian Ross is the Assistant Commissioner for Legal, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs for the New Jersey Department of Children and Families.  In this role, Mr. Ross has responsibility for oversight of the Department's legal, regulatory and administrative affairs.  He directly supervises the Office of Legal and Legislative Affairs and the Office of Licensing, and also serves as the Director of the Office of Policy and Regulatory Development and the Department's Administrative Practices Officer.

Mr. Ross joined the Department of Children and Families as a Legal Specialist in 2011.  Prior to that, he spent ten years as a program analyst with the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense focusing on family violence response and quality of life programs.   

He holds a juris doctorate from George Mason University School of Law, and a bachelor's degree in International Relations from American University.    

 

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Sanford Starr

Assistant Commissioner, Division of Family and Community Partnerships

Sanford Starr joined the New Jersey Department of Children and Families in March 2020 as Deputy Director in the Division of Family and Community Partnerships, as he and the Team seamlessly advanced critical services throughout the pandemic by supporting Early Childhood, Family Support and Nurse Home Visiting programs’ shift to virtual assistance.  He assumed the position of Assistant Commissioner for the Division in March 2021 along with an expanded range of services, including housing, family preservation, and reunification programs.

Sanford brings 40 years of experience to DCF. He previously served on the executive leadership teams of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, where he provided oversight to the strategic planning and research areas of the department.  He was key contributor in the application and award of over $200 million dollars in federal discretionary grants for the state, and provided oversight for numerous federal discretionary grants that collectively established statewide drug trend monitoring and surveillance strategies, improved access and retention in treatment, expanded the use of evidence-based practices, and improved integrated care. 

In addition to his over 24 years of state government experience, Sandy has worked in numerous clinical practices, management and leadership positions in community and hospital based behavioral health settings.  Mr. Starr earned degrees in psychology and social work from The Ohio State University.

 

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Katherine L. Stoehr

First Deputy Commissioner

Katherine is the First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families. Her career has spanned nearly two decades of work on child welfare reform across multiple U.S. jurisdictions.

Katherine began her career in support of children and families at the Association to Benefit Children in East Harlem.  Since then she has served in diverse leadership roles at various child and family serving agencies, including Sr. Vice President of Performance, Strategy and Advocacy at Graham Windham, and Assistant Commissioner for Program Policy and Development at the New York City Administration for Children Services.  Throughout her career, Katherine has held executive responsibility for management of direct services, and has managed strategic planning, policy development, performance monitoring, and implementation of revenue maximization strategies in both government and non-profit agencies. Prior to joining the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Katherine worked as a consultant for the Annie E Casey Foundation, Public Catalyst and other non-profits, foundations and consultancy practices, with a focus on strategic and programmatic support, management of child welfare reform initiatives, and implementation of evidenced-based programs. 

Katherine earned a Master of Public Administration from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, and a BA in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a proud Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

 

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Jessica Trombetta

Executive Director, Office of Training and Professional Development

Jessica Trombetta previously led the work of the Office of Adolescent Services. As a result of her leadership, DCF has made tremendous improvements in how we work with and support adolescents and young adults, especially youth that are in or transitioning out of foster care.   

Jessica is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of experience in direct practice, supervisory and executive leadership roles.  She has great knowledge of child and adolescent development and well-being, family systems, and supervisory and management approaches.  She has successfully worked across the Department and has developed key partnerships with staff and external stakeholders, which has supported the achievements and success of improving our work with adolescents and resulted in positive outcomes for youth. Jessica has also led several successful initiatives that have created new and updated services and supports for young people through securing additional funding and leveraging resources from other state departments.

Jessica is a proven leader who is deeply committed to the DCF vision, values and core approaches.

 

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