New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that Dave Cole, who served as a White House adviser during Barack Obama’s first term, is the state’s new chief innovation officer.
In a press release shared with StateScoop, the state’s Office of Innovation said that Cole is now responsible for improving the “design and delivery of policies and services to the state’s residents, businesses and institutions.” Cole takes the place of Beth Noveck, who’d served as the state’s first innovation chief since 2018, and was appointed Jan. 9 as the state’s first chief AI strategist.
“When we deliver government services that are responsive to residents’ needs, we restore trust and lift up our communities,” Cole said in the release. “In addition to our efforts to improve state benefits and services for residents, Governor Murphy’s day-one commitment to establishing New Jersey as the Innovation State has made it possible for us to make it easier than ever to start and operate a local business, enabling economic growth across our state.”
