Kevin Dehmer has been named the Executive Director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.
Most recently, Kevin was the Assistant Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer of the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). In that position, he oversaw all aspects of public-school funding in New Jersey, including allocating more than $11 billion in state aid annually and over $1 billion in federal grants. Since 2017, Kevin has led more than 100 professionals, including economists, public policy analysts, lawyers, accountants, and technology specialists in that division. Prior to his current position, Kevin directed numerous offices within NJDOE, and twice was appointed by New Jersey governors as the Interim/Acting Commissioner of Education.
“My colleagues and I are very pleased that Kevin is joining the Heldrich Center. In addition to his public service record, he has a deep understanding not only of education and finance, but also of a wide range of state and national public policies that affect the ability of individuals to prepare for and succeed in the workplace,” said Carl Van Horn, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Heldrich Center.
During his more than 15 years in public service, Kevin served on multiple state councils and advisory groups in New Jersey, including the State Employment and Training Commission; the Council on the Green Economy; the Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology; Governor Phil Murphy’s Coronavirus Task Force; and the Statewide Procurement Disparity Study.
Andrea Hetling, Professor of Public Policy and Associate Director of the Heldrich Center, commented, “I am excited to welcome Kevin to the Center. His skills, experience, and passion for the Center’s mission make him a great match for our organization now and into the future.”
A native of Minnesota, Kevin was educated at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science and at Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, where he earned a Master’s of Public Policy. He was also a Graduate Fellow at Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics.
Kevin will join the Heldrich Center on October 31, 2022. He succeeds Kathy Krepcio who retired after nearly 20 years at the Heldrich Center.
About the Heldrich Center
Established in 1998, the Heldrich Center, located at Rutgers’ Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, is a widely recognized national leader in research on the effectiveness of workforce development, education, and social policies and programs that aim to assist individuals to obtain jobs, advance their careers, or return to work after periods of unemployment. Learn more: www.heldrich.rutgers.edu.
