New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine late Monday announced that Treasury Department employee Albertha Hyche will serve as interim chief operating officer for Camden, replacing Judge Theodore Z. Davis, who stepped down from the post on Aug. 31.
Hyche is manager in the Division of Administration in the state Treasury Department and has been the Camden team leader for nearly two years, working on-site to create and implement accounting and fiscal monitoring systems for the financially beleaguered city.
Camden's chief operating officer serves as the state monitor and can override decisions of the mayor and the City Council. The state, by law, will continue its oversight until 2012. Camden has been under state monitorship since 2002.
"Albertha Hyche has demonstrated the keen insight and financial acumen that makes her a great choice to oversee the immediate operations of the city of Camden," Corzine said in a press release.
"Her willingness to take on this tremendous responsibility will provide for a seamless transition until a permanent chief operating officer can be appointed."
Hyche holds a master's degree in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a master's in accounting from Kean University. She has a bachelor's degree in accounting from the Rutgers University School of Business in Camden.
Camden, located in southeast New Jersey, has a population of 79,383, according to a 2008 U.S Census estimate.
More than 40% of individuals live below the poverty level, compared to 13.3% of the total U.S. population, and the median household income is $23,154 compared to the national median of $50,007, according to the U.S. Census.
