New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill officially appointed Kellie Doucette to serve as the state’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO). This newly created role is designed to propel efficiency, transparency, and accountability across the state government.
The position was also devised to drive operational excellence, improve government productivity, and update state services. Doucette will focus on streamlining permitting, regulatory processes, and delivering results for residents, according to a press release from the state.
Following her inauguration on Jan. 20, Sherrill has actively adopted a “business-like” approach to state government, focusing on fiscal discipline, efficiency, and closer collaboration with the private sector to address a $3 billion structural deficit.
About Kellie Doucette and the Role
As COO, Doucette will oversee day-to-day operations and transformation initiatives in the executive branch, working closely with the governor’s cabinet to deliver results for New Jersey families. The position reflects Sherrill’s commitment to bringing a different kind of leadership to Trenton and modernizing state government to meet today’s challenges and deliver for the people of New Jersey.
“Kellie Doucette has spent her career focused on bringing people together, solving tough problems, and making organizations work better for the people they serve,” saidbSherrill. “As New Jersey’s first Chief Operating Officer, Kellie will help us build a dynamic government that focuses relentlessly on getting results — starting with our priority of making life more affordable for the people of New Jersey.”
Background: Kellie Doucette served as the executive director of the Sherrill gubernatorial transition committee and previously worked as the district director for Sherrill’s congressional office from 2019 to 2024. Prior to her government service, Doucette began her career in healthcare policy and worked for many years as an actuary in the individual disability and long-term care reinsurance markets.
Doucette earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and completed her Associateship of the Society of Actuaries while working in the private sector.
Role Purpose: As COO, a position within the Office of the Governor, Doucette is tasked with breaking down siloes across state agencies, improving customer experience for residents and businesses, and reducing red tape.
Strategic Structure: The appointment included establishing the Office of the COO, comprising the Strategic Initiatives & Economic Opportunity Office and the Operational Performance Office.
Prioritizing Efficiency
This move is part of a broader effort by the incoming Sherrill administration to prioritize affordability and government efficiency, with the COO working closely with the governor’s cabinet, according to the NJ Business and Industry Association (NJBIA).
Doucette previously served as Executive Director of the Sherrill Gubernatorial Transition and held senior leadership roles in both government and the private sector. She brings deep experience in management, strategy, and organizational development — including prior work advancing initiatives in infrastructure, workforce development, and public engagement.
As District Director for Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s (NJ-11) congressional office, she oversaw district operations, coordinated with the legislative team in Washington, and managed constituent outreach. She worked closely with local officials, on a bipartisan basis, to address issues, including flooding, water infrastructure, Superfund remediation, public safety, housing affordability, mental health, reproductive health, economic development, veteran health care, and support for Picatinny Arsenal.
Operational Excellence
Under Sherrill’s leadership, the COO will serve as a key member of the Governor’s senior team focused on modernizing state processes and systems, achieving operational excellence, and coordinating across agencies. She will work closely with Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s incoming Chief of Staff, Alex Ball, and Chief Counsel, Tim Lydon.
“I’m deeply honored to take on this new role,” said Doucette. “Gov. Sherrill’s vision for a more efficient, transparent, and innovative government is exactly what New Jersey needs right now. I’m excited to focus everything we do on results and customer service — cutting red tape, breaking down silos, and ensuring New Jersey’s public servants have the resources they need to make New Jersey stronger and more affordable.”
In states like Arizona, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Oregon, COOs have played key roles: overhauling technology and citizen-facing systems to save time and money, guiding statewide initiatives to measure and improve agency outcomes, and aligning different agencies’ efforts to address critical priorities.