Four New Jersey City Department Heads

Jersey City is doing a basic but hugely important kind of reset — putting permanent leaders in charge of the departments residents actually feel. Trash pickup. street repairs. youth programs. public health. That might sound like inside-government stuff, but turns out this is where a new mayor’s priorities become real. Since March, Mayor James Solomon has named four department heads across infrastructure, health and human services, public works, and recreation and youth development. ### Which jobs got filled? The four posts are Andrew Kaplan as infrastructure director, Linda Ivory-Green as health and human services director, James Leavy as public works director, and Peter J. Vincent as recreation and youth development director. Kaplan and housing chief Annisia Cialone were part of a March 16 announcement, and the City Council later confirmed Kaplan while also voting to retain Cialone. Ivory-Green was announced April 8, Leavy on April 15 with an effective date of April 20, and Vincent on May 1. (jerseycitynj.gov) ### Why do these four matter? Because these are not ceremonial roles. Infrastructure touches capital work and the city’s physical systems. Health and Human Services runs 10 divisions tied to public health access. Public Works handles the stuff residents notice immediately when it goes wrong. Recreation and Youth Development shapes after-school and seasonal programming. If Solomon wants people to feel that City Hall works differently, these are the departments that have to prove it. (jerseycitynj.gov) ### What is Leavy walking into? Probably the hardest cleanup job of the bunch. Leavy came over after 25 years with New York City sanitation, most recently as Manhattan borough chief. Jersey City framed his hiring as part of a modernization and reform push after its winter storm after-action report. He now oversees 10 divisions, including sanitation, street maintenance, fleet, forestry, recycling, graffiti removal, demolition, and impounding, plus liaison work with the municipal utilities authority. (jerseycitynj.gov) Basically — if snow response, broken equipment, or missed pickups become a problem, this is his desk. ### Why is health leadership a big deal here? Ivory-Green is not an outside hire dropped in cold. She has spent more than 30 years inside Jersey City’s own public health system and rose from health educator to department head. That matters because the department oversees 10 divisions and sits at the intersection of clinics, prevention, neighborhood outreach, and equity work. Solomon made a point of making her appointment permanent, which signals continuity in a city government otherwise changing fast. (jerseycitynj.gov) ### What about youth programs? Vincent’s appointment says something pretty clear about the administration’s tone. He is a Jersey City native with a long background in athletics administration, coaching, and youth mentoring, including work at New Jersey City University, Centenary University, Hudson Catholic, and AAU basketball. The city said he will prioritize expanding youth programs. That is less flashy than a ribbon-cutting, but it is the kind of choice that shows whether the administration sees recreation as extras or as core city service. (jerseycitynj.gov) ### Is this happening in a vacuum? Not at all. Jersey City is also trying to overhaul a troubled 911 system and public safety structure, and it has been wrestling with a reported $255 million budget deficit that led the city to seek $150 million in state aid. That is the catch — new leadership helps, but every department head is stepping into a city where expectations are high and money is tight. (jerseycitynj.gov) ### So what should residents watch? Watch the boring metrics — because those are the real ones. Snow cleanup. missed trash. park programming. faster access to services. fewer complaints about city responsiveness. Department-head stories usually look small on day one. But a few months later, they decide whether a mayor’s promises feel tangible or just well branded. ### The bottom line (patch.com) This is Solomon staffing up the parts of government that residents touch most often. The names matter, but the real story starts now — when these departments have to turn appointments into visible results. (jerseycitynj.gov)