January 13, 2020 - DCA and City of Atlantic City Appoint Stephanie Bush-Baskette as Business Administrator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, January 13, 2020

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the City of Atlantic City today announced the appointment of Stephanie Bush-Baskette, Esq., Ph.D., as business administrator. She officially begins work today in her new role. 

Dr. Bush-Baskette most recently served as business administrator for the City of Bridgeton for almost three and a half years and teaches at Rutgers University’s School of Public Affairs and Administration and the Center for Government Services with a current focus on government ethics. Her professional career of more than four decades has included public service, academics, research, elected office, and law. 

She was elected to three consecutive terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 27^th legislative district and then served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs during the Florio Administration, becoming the first African-American woman to be a member of any New Jersey gubernatorial cabinet. Dr. Bush-Baskette has done considerable research and teaching on the criminal justice system, particularly its impact on women of color and juveniles, authoring a book entitled, Misguided Justice – The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women. She has founded the Sojourn Institute, which aims to promote social justice through research, training, technical assistance, and informed advocacy. In addition to the City of Bridgeton, she also served as business administrator for East Orange in Essex County and Hillside in Union County. She has been a member of the New Jersey Ethics Commission. 

“We look forward to Dr. Bush-Baskette bringing her remarkable, distinguished career to Atlantic City to help guide it to the next level of renewal and prosperity,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “Her blend of expertise in municipal administration, government ethics, and social policy issues make her uniquely qualified to serve as the city’s top administrator. Governor Murphy and I remain committed to strengthening the fundamentals of city government and bolstering the ability of the city’s staff to ethically and efficiently run the city. I am very confident that Dr. Bush-Baskette will help us enormously in this endeavor.”  

“It’s a great day here in the City of Atlantic City anytime we can bring someone on our staff with the knowledge, experience and plethora of skills as Dr. Bush-Baskette,” said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small. “I look forward to working with Dr. Bush-Baskette to enhance the vision of the City in 2020 and beyond.” 

“I appreciate the confidence the Governor, Lt. Governor and Mayor have in me. I look forward to sharing my experiences, skills and passion to have a positive impact on the City of Atlantic City,” said Dr. Bush-Baskette. “I am ready to get to work.” 

Dr. Bush-Baskette earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University, her Juris Doctor from American University, and her Doctorate from Rutgers University. She lives in Galloway Township in Atlantic County. Dr. Bush-Baskette takes over for Anthony Swan, who served as interim business administrator since August 2019 and returns to his position as city solicitor. 

For more information about the City of Atlantic City, visit www.cityofatlanticcity.org. 

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: