Announces Promotion of Stephanie Lagos and Michelle DeAngelo to Deputy Chiefs of Staff and Edwin Torres as Digital Director 

TRENTON - Governor Phil Murphy today announced that Jennifer Sciortino will join the Governor’s Office as Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications. Sciortino, who is currently Director of Communications at the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, will join the Communications Office on Monday, December 5. The Communications Office will continue to be led by Acting Communications Director Alexandra Altman.

“I am thrilled to announce Jen Sciortino as my Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications,” said Governor Murphy. “Jen has established a remarkable tenure of public service and has distinguished expertise in government communications. She is a dedicated advocate for New Jerseyans across the state, and I am confident in her ability to craft and communicate our message with creativity, commitment, and integrity.”  

“It’s been an honor to serve the Murphy Administration and the Treasurer since day one and I’m incredibly excited to join the Governor’s team in this new role,” said Sciortino. “Having worked for the state for nearly 20 years I’ve witnessed the remarkable turnaround this administration has spearheaded when it comes to righting the State’s finances, reviving the economy, and making New Jersey more affordable for millions. I’m looking forward to being a part of the team charged with communicating these policies to the people of New Jersey.”

Governor Murphy also announced the promotions of Stephanie Lagos and Michelle DeAngelo to Deputy Chiefs of Staff to the Governor. Lagos will serve as the Chief of Staff to First Lady Tammy Murphy and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, and DeAngelo will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. Lagos and DeAngelo join Deputy Chief of Staff for Government Affairs Tim Hillmann, Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Development Joe Kelley, and Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Outreach Brianna Earle. Additionally, Edwin Torres, who currently serves as Director of Visual Content, has been promoted to Digital Director, where he will oversee the Social Media and Visual Content Teams, within the Communications Department. 

“From the earliest days of my Administration, Stephanie, Michelle, and Edwin have played critical roles in executing our vision for New Jersey,” said Governor Murphy. “Their commitment to this state has been unwavering and they have proven to be incredible core members of my team. I am both proud and excited to announce their new roles as they continue to serve New Jersey.”

Jennifer Sciortino has served as the Director of Communications for the NJ Department of the Treasury since the beginning of the Murphy Administration in January 2018. Throughout her 25-year career in government communications she has worked for the executive branch and both houses of the Legislature, serving two Governors, two Senate Presidents, and three Assembly Speakers. She began her career at the local level as the Public Information Officer for the City of Perth Amboy and also spent several years working for the Communications Office at the NJ Department of Health. In 2021, she was elected to the Bordentown City Board of Commissioners, and was selected by her colleagues to serve as Mayor, becoming just the second woman and the first LGBTQ+ member to hold the post.

Stephanie Lagos has served as Chief of Staff to First Lady Tammy Snyder Murphy since November 2017, whose policy portfolio includes maternal and infant health, climate change education, women-led businesses, and New Jersey’s film industry. Previously, she held the position of Senior Policy Advisor to the Murphy for Governor campaign. Prior to that, she worked as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to Assemblyman Gary Schaer during his tenure as Budget Chairman. Beginning in 2009, she served for over two years in the United States Peace Corps in Ghana working on environmental sustainability and diplomacy. Stephanie holds a Master's of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Science from Christopher Newport University.

Michelle DeAngelo has served as Director of Operations at the New Jersey Governor’s Office since January 2021 and Director of Scheduling, Advance & Briefings since January 2018. As Director she coordinates the creation and execution of the Governor’s public events. DeAngelo plays a critical role in stakeholder partnerships, collaborating across state agencies and departments, and with external organizations for all of the Governor’s meetings and public engagements. DeAngelo also served as the Director of Scheduling for Murphy for Governor in 2017. She previously worked for the Office of Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. in Paterson New Jersey from 2008 until 2017, as well as Pascrell for Congress as Deputy Campaign Manager in 2016. DeAngelo was born and raised in New Jersey and is a graduate of Montclair State University.

Edwin Torres has served as Director of Visual Content for the Governor's Office since 2021 and first joined Governor Murphy’s staff at the beginning of the administration as Deputy Digital Director in 2018. Prior, he served as a staff photographer for the New York City Mayor's Office. Preceding his work in government, Edwin worked as a freelance photojournalist. In 2016, Edwin was the lead photographer and a contributing reporter for a Pulitzer Prize winning story with ProPublica and the New York Daily News. His work has been published in the New York Times, Vice, The Atlantic, The New York Daily News, The American Prospect, ProPublica, and several other outlets. Edwin graduated from Colby College with a degree in American Studies.

Matthew Berns also recently joined the Governor’s Office in November as Deputy Chief Counsel. Berns joins Deputy Chief Counsel Lisa Almeida and Deputy Chief Counsel for Authorities Noreen Giblin in the Governor's Counsel's Office, which is led by Chief Counsel Parimal Garg.

Berns previously served as Chief Counsel in the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. In that role, he oversaw civil legal matters for the Department, including providing oversight for the Division of Law, the Division on Civil Rights, and the Division of Consumer Affairs. From 2018 to 2021, Matt served as Counsel and Senior Counsel to the Attorney General. Before joining the Office of the Attorney General, he spent three years at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served as a Trial Attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division. Matt previously worked as an associate at Covington & Burling in Washington and clerked for Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Law Journal.