(TRENTON) — Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto announced on Friday that he’s appointed Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey as the new chairperson of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
Jasey, of South Orange, was first sworn into the New Jersey General Assembly in 2007, and has long focused on improving education in New Jersey.
Before joining the Assembly, Jasey served as a member of the South Orange/Maplewood Board of Education for three terms, including two years as President. She is Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on the Public Schools and serves as a member of the Assembly Education Committee. Her efforts have been recognized by the New Jersey School Boards Association, New Jersey Education Association, the Essex Regional Educational Services Commission and the South Orange/Maplewood Board of Education.
“Assemblywoman Jasey has built a strong reputation as a leader in education policy in New Jersey,” said Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen). “I look forward to Mila taking her exceptional talents and expertise to her new leadership role and guiding our efforts to make our colleges and universities outstanding and affordable.”
“Higher education is, for many, one of the most significant concerns of 21st century families,” said Jasey (D-Essex/Morris). “The Assembly has been working to make higher education in New Jersey affordable and attainable, so students have the opportunity to secure the tools they need to enter the workforce and succeed in a global economy. I sincerely thank Speaker Prieto for this appointment and look forward to making sure New Jersey has the strongest higher education system in the region. If we are to create jobs and promote economic development in our state for generations to come, it begins by ensuring access to an affordable higher education system that will allow students to pursue rewarding career paths that will provide financial security and benefit society as a whole.”
Jasey, who received her B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University and her Master’s degree from Pace University School of Nursing, is a former public health nurse.
Married to Superior Court Judge Neil N. Jasey, they are the proud parents of three adult children and have two young grandchildren.
The Assembly Higher Education committee handles issues that relate directly to the state’s 31 public colleges and universities, including its 19 county and community colleges. The committee assists in facilitating access to the highest quality education for New Jersey students and directing policy relating to tuition aid and scholarship programs, such as the popular NJ STARS.
Jasey represents the 27th Legislative District, which includes the Essex County municipalities of Caldwell, Essex Fells, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Roseland, South Orange and West Orange; and the Morris County municipalities of Chatham, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding and Madison.