Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill will announce the appointment of Dale Caldwell, the lieutenant governor-elect, as Secretary of State at an event in his hometown of New Brunswick this morning.
This is her first cabinet selection.
Caldwell’s selection as Secretary of State comes as no surprise; he’s been slotted for that cabinet post for months.
“Dale has spent his entire career bringing people together and delivering results for his community,” Sherrill said. “His experience, integrity, and deep commitment to empowering every New Jerseyan make him the ideal leader to steward our democratic institutions and promote the cultural and civic vitality of our state.”
Caldwell will become New Jersey’s fourth lieutenant governor on January 20, and the third to serve as Secretary of State; Sheila Oliver was also the Commissioner of Community Affairs from 2018 until her death in 2023.
“The Department of State plays a critical role in strengthening our democracy, supporting our creative economy, and ensuring New Jersey remains a vibrant place to live, work, and visit,” he stated. “I look forward to working with partners across the state to expand civic engagement, support our small business community, bolster our cultural institutions, and uphold the integrity of our elections.”
Sherrill has come to rely on Caldwell since he became her Lt. Governor pick in July. He was an adept campaigner and co-chairs her transition team.
He served on the New Brunswick Board of Education for 26 years, resigning in 2023 to spend more time on his new college presidency.
Caldwell is the president of Centenary University, a small college in Warren County, and a Methodist minister; members of the Caldwell family have served as clergymen since the 1800s.
His father, Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell, Jr., was a self-described foot soldier of the civil rights movement who participated in the March on Washington in 1963, voter registration drives in Mississippi in 1964, and the March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. His grandfather was a minister in North Carolina.
New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill appointed Caldwell to the board in 1998, following the resignation of James Appleton. When the city switched to an elected school board in 2017, Caldwell finished first in a four-candidate race for three seats. He was re-elected in 2020, again the top vote-getter, and in 2023, albeit with a 3% voter turnout. His tenure included six years as board president He also served as chairman of the New Brunswick Housing Authority.
In 2006, he became the president and CEO of the United States Tennis Association – the first Black person to hold that post – and is a founder of the Black Tennis Hall of Fame.
Caldwell is also the pastor of the Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield. He is a third-generation clergyman.
served as CEO of the Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick. He served on the Governor’s Council on Volunteerism and Community Service.
In 1999, he became the first executive director of the Newark Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to economic development that comprises a consortium of business and civic leaders. He was the campaign manager for Upendra Chivukula (D-Franklin) when he won his first campaign for the State Assembly in 2001 in a newly-drawn 17th legislative district.
Gov. James E. McGreevey appointed Caldwell as assistant commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs in 2002 and as deputy commissioner in 2003. While at DCA, he served on the Government Records Council. He remained in that post until 2006.
He spent nearly 25 years as a member of the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey, which administers shared services agreements for school districts in Middlesex, Mercer, Somerset, and Union counties.
Caldwell ran charter schools in Asbury Park and Trenton and was New Jersey’s Charter School Administrator of the Year in 2015; Caldwell supported a discussion on a longer school day. He ran the Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University from 2018 to 2023. During the same time period, he operated his own consulting firm, Strategic Influence LLC.
Caldwell was born in Boston, graduated from Princeton University, and received an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a doctorate in Education Administration from Seton Hall. Caldwell is the author of eight books.
A tennis player since age eight, Caldwell won a gold medal in the New Jersey Senior Olympics in 2010. He’s been ranked as a top player over age 40 in the Eastern Division. In the early 2000s, he founded a program combining tennis, technology, and theater, as well as an after-school program. He also advocated for wheelchair tennis programs.
This story was updated at 12:14 PM with comment from Sherrill and Caldwell.
