NJ Secretary Of Higher Education To Resign As Murphy's Administration Ends

The NJ Secretary of Higher Education is set to step down from his role at the end of the month as Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill prepares to take office in late January.

Brian Bridges, 57, first started his role as secretary in November 2020 as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s administration.

According to a report from NJ Advance Media, Bridges said he’s ready to return to Virginia to spend more time with his children and will leave his post at the end of the month.

In a statement sent to Patch, Bridges said he's "incredibly proud" of the work that his office has done under the Murphy Administration in partnership with the legislature, and said that serving the people of New Jersey as secretary has been an honor.

"We made historic investments in New Jersey higher education and statewide initiatives that are helping more students access and afford college, stay enrolled, and earn their credential or degree," Bridges said. "Innovative statewide initiatives to strengthen support for student mental health, re-engage adult learners to earn their degrees, create paid internships for students and address basic needs, like food insecurity, have also advanced student success and earned New Jersey national recognition."

“More work lies ahead for the incoming administration, but we have made enormous strides to deliver on the promise of a college education, make the case for greater state investment, and, ultimately, leave higher education better than we found it," he continued. "Serving the people of New Jersey as Secretary of Higher Education has been the honor of my professional career.”

As Secretary of Higher Education, Bridges has been responsible for policy development and coordination of higher education activities for New Jersey, which included supporting institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to starting his role as secretary, he previously served as Vice President of Research & Member Engagement at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in Washington, D.C., where he led UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute and the Institute for Capacity Building, among other projects with the organization.

In addition to his work with UNCF, he’s also served in various leadership roles both on- and off-campus, including but not limited to Vice Provost for Diversity, Access & Equity at Ohio University, Associate Director of the Center for Advancement of Racial & Ethnic Equity at the American Council on Education, and Associate Director at the National Survey of Student Engagement.

“Proud to nominate Dr. Brian Bridges to serve as Secretary of Higher Education,” Governor Murphy said when Bridges was first nominated as secretary in 2020. “Making college more affordable and accessible has been a hallmark of our administration’s mission, and Brian is just the leader we need to continue turning this vision into reality.”

Bridges is the latest member of Governor Murphy’s cabinet to announce their resignation as Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill gets ready to take office in late January and make her own appointments.

In December, Colonel Patrick J. Callahan announced that he will retire from his role as Superintendent of the NJ State Police at the end of the year, and Sherrill announced that former First Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Davenport will replace current NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

Sherrill’s running mate during the 2025 election, Lt. Gov.-elect Dale Caldwell, is set to serve as Secretary of State after he and Sherrill are inaugurated in late January.

Though Sherrill has not yet announced if she's chosen someone to nominate for the role of Secretary of Higher Education, the report from NJ Advance Media said Bridges recommended that Angela Bethea, the current assistant secretary in the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, serve as interim secretary until a new agency head is appointed.

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