New Jersey Governor-elect Chris Christie last week announced that Lieut. Governor-elect Kim Guadagno also will serve as the next secretary of state.
Along with overseeing the state's Division of Elections, Travel and Tourism, Community Service, and other government agencies, Guadagno will head up a new division within the secretary of state's office called New Jersey Partnership for Action.
It will offer prospective businesses that are considering opening in or relocating to New Jersey a "one-stop shop" for regulatory process and potential tax incentives. The goal is to promote private-sector job growth in a state where the unemployment rate is 9.7%.
Guadagno is a former assistant U.S. attorney and was elected as Monmouth County sheriff in 2007.
Along with announcing Guadagno's new roles, Christie last week nominated Essex County prosecutor Paula Dow as attorney general. While Dow's nomination is subject to approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Guadagno's role as secretary of state does not require legislative consent, according to Maria Comella, spokeswoman for Christie.
