Aaron Binder Sworn In as New Jersey State Treasurer

Veteran Leadership Team Will Support Treasurer in Advancing Governor Sherrill's Agenda 

(TRENTON) – Following unanimous confirmation by the State Senate last week,  Aaron Binder was officially sworn in as New Jersey State Treasurer yesterday.

Treasurer Binder, who had been serving in an acting capacity since Governor Sherrill assumed office, leads one of the largest state treasury departments in the nation. With over 3,000 employees, 13 divisions, and numerous in-but-not-of agencies, the New Jersey Department of the Treasury is responsible for, among other things, the management and oversight of the State budget, the collection and administration of State taxes, fees, and revenues, the issuance of State debt, the management of the pension and health benefit plans for public employees statewide, and the investments of one of the largest public pension funds in the U.S.

“With one of the broadest mandates of any State department, much of Treasury’s work is effectuated by public servants who bring a strong work ethic and a customer service-focused approach to solving problems,” said Treasurer Binder. “I’m proud to have built a team with a deep collective understanding of Treasury’s multi-faceted mission. I look forward to working with each of them to ensure a seamless transition as we advance Governor Sherrill’s mandate to maintain fiscal responsibility and boost affordability for residents across the Garden State.”

Treasurer Binder first joined the department in 2021 as Deputy State Treasurer, assisting with management of the State budget and overseeing the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Revenue and Economic Analysis, and the Division of Taxation. Previously, Mr. Binder served on the leadership team for the New Jersey Assembly Majority Office (AMO), including his most recent role as Deputy Executive Director. During his 16-year tenure with the AMO, he was the lead Aide for the Assembly Budget Committee and oversaw many key policy issues, including development of the State budget, public employee pensions & benefits, banking and insurance, transportation, and health care. Prior to joining the AMO, he served in a number of financial roles for Congreso De Latinos Unidos, Amtrak, and the City of Philadelphia.

Treasurer Binder has assembled a leadership team within the Treasurer’s Office that is comprised of some of the most talented public servants from across State government, who bring a wealth of public and private sector expertise to one of the largest agencies in New Jersey state government.

Heading up his leadership team is Kavin Mistry, Esq., who joins the Department as Deputy State Treasurer to oversee the State budget along with Treasury’s Office of Management and Budget and the Division of Taxation. He joins Treasury after nearly 25 years with the Department of Law and Public Safety where he most recently served as Deputy Director in charge of the department’s Financial Affairs Practice Group. As a Deputy Attorney General for many years, he oversaw matters involving budget/appropriations, public finance, the Division of Taxation, the Community Health Care Assets Protection Act, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the New Jersey Building Authority, and the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority, along with charitable estates and trusts.

Dennis Zeveloff joins the department as Senior Advisor to the Treasurer, using his policy expertise to provide critical support on major projects – particularly the Governor’s budget proposal – and serving as the Treasurer’s designee on various boards and task forces. Over the last eight years, he held multiple roles in the prior administration, including Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor and Director of Budget and Outcomes. With both a JD and an MBA from Yale, he has left his mark on many of the previous administration’s most successful policy achievements and was part of the team that helped orchestrate a remarkable turnaround in the State’s finances.

Robert M. Joyce joins the team as Treasury’s new Chief of Staff, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department’s 13 divisions and the management of 3,000 employees. He comes to the Treasurer’s Office after 25 years serving the Division of Taxation, most recently as Executive Deputy Director. Throughout his tenure with the division, he held numerous leadership roles, including Chief of Staff and Assistant Director of Strategic Planning, while also leading the Treasurer’s Special Task Force on modernizing and transforming the division. He first began his career in public service at the U.S. Economic Development Authority, working on grant funding after Hurricane Floyd struck the East Coast of the United States.

Keith White also joins the team as Assistant Treasurer and will oversee legislative affairs, constituent relations and Treasury’s Unclaimed Property division. A policy veteran, he has spent nearly 30 years in various roles within State government and higher education, most recently at the NJ Department of Labor where he served as senior adviser to former Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. He also spent 13 years with the Assembly Majority Office, in numerous leadership positions, including director of policy for former Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts. He also spent five years as Senior Director of External Affairs for Rutgers, The State University, in addition to working for the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in the formative years of the Heldrich Center’s development.

Michael Kanef, Esq., will remain in his role as Assistant Treasurer, overseeing Treasury’s Office of Public Finance, Division of Investment, Division of Risk Management, and the New Jersey Lottery. He first joined Treasury in 2018 as the Director of the Office of Public Finance, following two decades in the finance industry with stints at both Moody’s Corporation and Moody’s Investors Service. Prior to joining Moody’s, he worked as an attorney for several New York-based law firms, including Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom, where he handled structured finance matters.

Also continuing in her role as Assistant Treasurer is Andrea Spalla, Esq., who oversees Treasury’s divisions of Pension and Benefits, Purchase and Property, and Revenue and Enterprise Services. She also serves as the Chair of the Secure Choice Savings Program Board, the Co-Chair of the State Health Benefits Plan Design Committee, and on the School Employees Health Benefits Plan Design Committee. She first joined Treasury in 2018 as the Director of Legislative Affairs and Constituent Relations after previously serving as Chief of Staff to State Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker and practicing international corporate law in New York.

Jo-Ann Povia continues to lend her experience to the department in a new role as Assistant Treasurer, overseeing the Division of Property Management and Construction, after serving as Treasury’s Chief of Staff for the last eight years. Prior to joining the department, she served as Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio and spent more than a decade as Director of Research and Special Projects for the Mercer County Board of Commissioners after working in executive management for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts for many years.

Jennifer Sciortino currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for the department. She has spent nearly three decades in government communications, getting her start at the local level for the City of Perth Amboy. For more than two decades she has split her time between the executive and legislative branches of State government, serving two Governors, two Senate Presidents, three Assembly Speakers, and numerous cabinet officials. Her roles have included Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications to Governor Phil Murphy, Director of Communications for the Treasury Department, Deputy Communications Director for the Assembly Majority Office, Press Secretary to Senate President Richard Codey, and Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Codey.

Deborah DePiano continues in her role as Director of Legislative Affairs and Constituent Relations, overseeing all legislative matters that impact the department while serving as the liaison between Treasury’s thirteen divisions, the Governor’s Office, and the Legislature. Additionally, she oversees constituent services, helping to ensure timely resolutions to Treasury inquiries for both residents and legislators. She first joined Treasury in 2024 as the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs and Constituent Relations after fourteen years with the Legislature where she served as an aide to the Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Darryl Isherwood continues in his role as Director of Communications, a position he first assumed in 2023, which includes overseeing all internal and external communications for the Department of the Treasury. He has over 20 years of media and communications experience, including three years as a Senior Advisor in Governor Phil Murphy’s Communications Office and a year at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority as a Senior Advisor and Sector Lead, Film and Digital Media. Before his stint in state government, he worked as a communications consultant to some of the state’s largest companies, specializing in media relations and crisis communications. Prior to his work in communications, he was an award-winning reporter in NY and NJ, covering politics and business for NJ.com and the Star Ledger, the Times of Trenton and other major national and regional outlets.

Danielle Currie rounds out Treasury’s communications team as Deputy Director, a role she assumed in 2023 after previously serving as Press Secretary. She joined the department in 2021 after serving as Press Secretary for the Assembly Majority Office. Prior to making the leap to State government, she was a reporter for the Burlington County Times and the Item of Millburn and Short Hills.

Sharon Alessi will continue to serve the Department of the Treasury as she has for more than 40 years now, lending her invaluable assistance to 14 state treasurers over the course of six different administrations, including direct support to five state treasurers over the course of three different administrations. She ensures the day-to-day operations of the Treasurer’s Office function smoothly, coordinates planning for the state budget process and plays an integral role in ensuring a smooth transition during changes in administrations.