Mayor Emily B. Jabbour today announced her senior leadership team and ambitious first-year priorities as part of a broader restructuring of Hoboken’s City government designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and quality of life for residents.
The plan pairs experienced leadership with department-specific benchmarks, ranging from identifying $1 million in savings and repaving more than 3.5 miles of roadway to launching a redesigned City website and expanding quality-of-life and public safety patrols.
“Strong leadership and clear priorities are essential to delivering results for our residents,” said Mayor Jabbour. “This team brings deep experience, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and service. Together, we are focused on making City Hall more responsive, more efficient, and more accessible to the people of Hoboken.”
Mayor Jabbour announced the following new appointments within her administration:
Christian Duffy will serve as the mayor’s Chief of Staff. He joined the City in 2026 with over a decade of experience in politics and government previously serving as Chief of Staff to both Assemblywoman Annette Quijano and Senator Joseph Cryan, the Hudson County Political Coordinator on Governor Murphy’s 2021 re-election campaign, and campaign manager for Congressman Rob Menendez's and Congressman Herb Conaway’s campaigns in 2024, and Assemblyman Vinnie Kearney.
Jennifer Gonzalez will serve as Business Administrator. Since joining Hoboken in 2016, serving as principal planner, Director of Environmental services, Director of Climate Action & Innovation, and then Assistant Business Administrator, Gonzalez has secured more than $38 million in federal and state grants, overseen all municipal departments, and led the delivery of ResilienCity Park, the state’s largest stormwater detention park to mitigate flooding.
Diana Fortunato (née Aviles) will be the City’s Assistant Business Administrator starting on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Fortunato joined the City in 2022 and served as Director of Parks, Recreation, and Public Works and Deputy Director of Transportation and Parking. While with the City, she launched the first body-worn cameras for parking enforcement officers, implemented the ParkMobile reservation system in garages, modernized parking enforcement operations, strengthened public works operations and parks maintenance, and oversaw major park expansions.
Christopher Brown will serve as Acting Director of the Department of Community Development. Brown has served the City since 2011 and has spearheaded several initiatives such as establishing the City's Community Development Block Grant Program, acquiring the Jubilee Center using federal funding, and reforms to Hoboken’s inclusionary zoning ordinance to require10 percent affordable housing in certain new developments. He also advanced the North End Redevelopment Plan, expanding affordable housing, public open space, and community facilities such as space for a new uptown library and municipal garage.
Ken Ferrante will serve as Acting Director of the Department of Public Safety, a role he has held since 2022, after previously serving as Hoboken’s Chief of Police from 2014 to 2021. While Director, Ferrante has increased the staffing levels at the Hoboken Police Department and Fire Department and modernized EMS operations to improve service to residents across the city and reduce response times to 2.5 minutes. He also has overseen the Office of Emergency Management and has already been involved in planning for the World Cup and Sail 250 events coming this summer.
Ryan Sharp will serve as Acting Director of the Department of Transportation and Parking starting on Feb. 23. Sharp previously led the department from 2017 to 2024, where he established Hoboken’s award-winning Vision Zero initiative, making Hoboken one of the safest places in the entire country to walk, bike and drive, launched the Hop shuttle service, ParkMobile system, and the City’s bike share programs.
RJ Theofield will serve as Acting Director of the Department of Infrastructure. Theofield joined Hoboken in 2021 and most recently served as Deputy Director of Climate Action & Innovation. He has overseen a $300 million capital program, including the Waterfront Reconstruction Project to preserve and protect the waterfront for community use, implemented community-led and inclusive park designs such as Maritime Park and Tom Olivieri Park, as well as the much-needed relocation of the Public Works facility.
In addition, the City will launch a nationwide search to identify a director for the new Department of Community Services.
Under this leadership team, each department will implement clear, measurable goals during the Jabbour Administration’s first year.
The Department of Administration will identify at least $1 million in operating expense reductions as well as revenue generating opportunities for council consideration and approval. To improve transparency, the Administration will launch the City’s first Division of Public Engagement. By mid-year, residents will see a redesigned City website, and by year’s end, department-level performance metrics will be published online alongside a new mobile app to report issues.
The Department of Community Development will establish an Office of Public Counsel to assist residents facing eviction and provide tenant advocacy. The City will move forward with the Hoboken Housing Authority Redevelopment Plan and execute a community informed Redevelopment Agreement with the Hoboken Housing Authority and RPM Development, L.L.C.by the end of the second quarter to modernize housing without displacing residents. The department will also identify and pursue funding through public private partnerships to rehabilitate the Multi-Service Center and Hoboken Community Center, including improved facilities for seniors, recreation programs, municipal offices, and a municipal pool.
The new Department of Community Services will focus on improving recreation programming through the establishment of a new Recreation Parent Advisory Board and strengthening coordination among social service providers through a new Social Services Coalition which will identify services gaps and develop action plans to expand housing placements and supportive services to assist those experiencing homelessness. The department will coordinate FIFA World Cup-related events to give residents and visitors the chance to enjoy the festivities while creating economic opportunities for the City and local business community, as well as update the City’s film ordinance to keep Hoboken a premier filming destination while ensuring the City and residents benefit from film production with a new fee structure and community notification processes.
The Department of Infrastructure will implement the paving of over 3.5 miles or 64 blocks of city roads this year. The department will improve the pedestrian experience along Washington Street in coordination with the Hoboken Business Alliance through the installation of new community benches and new trash cans to combat litter and pet waste. Additionally, the department will upgrade the City’s parks and green spaces by planting 80 grant-funded shade trees; cutting the ribbon on the reconstructed Sinatra Drive bulkhead, waterfront walkway, and the adjoining temporary multi-use path; opening the new press box at Mama Johnson field; and breaking ground on upgrades to Tom Olivieri Park.
The Department of Public Safety will expand walking patrols throughout the city and launch a Washington Street quality-of-life initiative in partnership with the Hoboken Business Alliance. The department will implement weekly targeted e-bike enforcement initiatives to ensure compliance with new State law and seek funding for additional security cameras and emergency blue light systems in City parks and along the waterfront.
The Department of Transportation and Parking will evaluate cost effective ways to expand Hop service. The department will also launch a comprehensive intersection audit, including crowd-sourced data, that will ensure all intersections meet or exceed the standards set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act in an effort to improve safety and accessibility as part of the ongoing Vision Zero initiative. The department will restripe crosswalks, install missing or needed signage, detectable warning surfaces, and more. The department will also select a vendor to rehabilitate and restore the 916 Garden St. municipal garage and break ground on the Midtown Garage Rehabilitation Project to restore much needed off-street parking.
The Mayor’s Office will host quarterly office hours to provide residents with direct, in-person access to Mayor Jabbour and will participate in ward meetings with each City Council member to strengthen collaboration.
“This is about building a government that delivers measurable results,” said Mayor Jabbour. “We will track our progress publicly, report regularly to residents, and hold ourselves accountable for delivering on these commitments.”
