HUDSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE CRAIG GUY ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF DESIREE GRACE TO LEAD COUNTY’S FIRST-EVER OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

Jersey City, NJ - Today, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy appointed Desiree Grace, Esq. to lead Hudson County’s first-ever Office of Inspector General. In July, County Executive Guy proposed an ordinance to the Hudson County Board of Commissioners establishing the Office of the Inspector General. The Board of Commissioners unanimously passed the ordinance in August.

“Desiree Grace’s credentials are impeccable, and I have no doubt she will lead the Office of Inspector General with integrity and independence,” said Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. “My Administration prioritizes transparency and accountability, and the Office of Inspector General will serve as a watchdog ensuring Hudson County taxpayer dollars are not wasted or misspent.”

Hudson County Counsel Alberico De Pierro emphatically recommended Grace following a thorough and extensive selection process.

“Desiree was one of numerous candidates vetted and it became resoundingly clear that she was the perfect candidate for the office. Her career in safeguarding the taxpayers perfectly aligns with the quality of candidate needed.”

Desiree Grace graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree and received her Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law where she graduated magna cum laude. Grace spent nine years at the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, serving as First Assistant United States Attorney, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Criminal Division Chief. She won the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s Prosecutor of the Year award in 2019 and 2024. Grace currently serves as a Partner at McCarter & English in Newark.

“I am truly honored to be considered to serve as the Hudson County Inspector General,” said Grace. “I have dedicated the majority of my career to investigative work aimed at improving the community, and I welcome the opportunity to use that skill set to serve Hudson County in this new initiative.”

Grace’s appointment will be announced at the September 22, 2026 Board of County Commissioners caucus. The Commissioners are expected to ratify her contract at their meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2026.