Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill will nominate Aaron Binder as her State Treasurer, and will keep David Cole as the state’s Chief Innovation Officer.
Binder will replace Elizabeth Muoio, a former assemblywoman who is one of two people to serve in Murphy’s cabinet for eight years.”
The New Jersey Globe first reported Binder’s likely nomination on December 12.
Binder has been Gov. Phil Murphy’s Deputy State Treasurer since December 2021 after serving as deputy executive director of the Assembly Majority Office during a 16-year stint with the Assembly. He was the lead aide for the Assembly Budget Committee and was the in-house expert on fiscal issues.
He runs the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Revenue and Economic Analysis.
Before joining the Assembly staff in 2006, Binder was the chief financial officer for Conreso de Latinos Unidos. A longtime star of the Assembly Majority Office’s Golden Dome League softball team, Binder – known as “Binder the Sidewinder” for his distinctive throwing form — was former major league baseball pitcher Nelson Figueroa’s closer when they played together on the Brandeis University team.
Cole joined the Murphy administration six years ago. Sherrill’s announcement follows Murphy’s signing of a bill that established the New Jersey Innovation Authority.
Sherrill praised Cole as a “true leader” in the government innovation space.
“His broad experience across the public and private sector will be invaluable as we work to build a stronger New Jersey economy and a state government that works smarter for you,” she said. “I look forward to working with Dave as we modernize the way New Jerseyans access state government services and build a government that works for everyone.”
