EAST ORANGE, NJ, September 13, 2018: Mayor Ted R. Green is proud to announce the appointment of two new directors to his leadership team to head the Departments of Policy, Planning and Development and Health and Human Services.

Policy, Planning and Development

Daniel Jennings, who has been named Director of the Policy, Planning and Development Department, is most recently the former Senior Economic Development Adviser for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, and has led a variety of initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, small business growth, real estate development and community revitalization.

While in Rhode Island, Jennings created and managed the first state-financed lending program for small businesses. His work includes serving as a steering committee member for the Working Cities Challenge, along with being the co-author of Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo’s new suite of economic development incentive programs. Jennings also acted as the Interim Deputy Mayor and Director of Economic and Housing Development for the City of Newark, where he was responsible for all economic development functions and served as the Vice Chairman of the Brick City Development Corporation (BCDC), where he spearheaded an industrial development strategy that led to 1.5 million sq.ft. in new warehouse development, launched the UEZ/BCDC loan program and brought in $6.2 million of investment in successful projects. His portfolio includes Newark’s Teacher’s Village and the expansion of CityPlex, Newark’s only movie theatre.

Health & Human Services

Michael Hodges MHS, REHS, CHES, HO, has been appointed the new Director of the Department of Health and Human Services. He is the former Health Officer/Director for the West Milford Health Department and also led the process to establish Bloomfield as New Jersey’s first nationally-accredited health department from the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB),a joint initiative of the CDC and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Hodges is the recipient of the Montclair State University George G. King Memorial Award for improving the health of the community through leadership and collaboration. His experience includes serving on the Board of Directors and Board of Commissioners of the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) ) and was previously a organizer for the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Annual Conference.

“These two gentleman bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in each of their respective fields,” said Mayor Green. “As we work to bring progress to East Orange, the fresh perspective of these new directors will be vital in moving East Orange forward.”

###