Gov. Sherrill nominates Joseph Ribsam to lead New Jersey Department of Children and Families
TRENTON, N.J. — Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Monday nominated Joseph Ribsam to serve as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, a cabinet-level agency focused on child safety and family well-being.
Ribsam would succeed Christine Norbut Beyer, who has been serving as interim commissioner and will depart after eight years leading the department.
“I am thrilled to nominate Joseph Ribsam to lead the Department of Children and Families. Joe brings deep leadership experience shaping systems and policy to improve outcomes for children and families. With nearly a decade of prior service at the department, including as Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner, we are excited to welcome him back and have him at the helm at this pivotal time,” said Governor Sherrill. “I also want to thank Interim Commissioner Beyer for her service and leadership during this transition, and for her tenure, which has helped transform the agency’s work by centering safety, well-being, and connection through a prevention-focused approach.”
“I am honored to be nominated to serve as New Jersey’s next Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, and I thank Governor Sherrill for her trust and confidence,” said Joseph Ribsam. “I look forward to working with the Governor, our state partners, and the dedicated professionals at DCF to build a responsive, effective system centered on the well-being of all New Jersey’s children and families.”
“It has been the honor of a lifetime serving as Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families for the last eight and a half years, and I’m grateful to Governor Sherrill for allowing me to be a part of the transition for our Department,” said NJ DCF Interim Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer. “The work of DCF is so necessary, and the workforce so special and dear to my heart. I’m thrilled that the torch is being passed to someone familiar with the Department’s reform and transformation journey. I have no doubt that Joe will continue our progress as a system and make his own mark leading the Department. I am confident that DCF will be in good hands moving forward.”
Ribsam currently serves as director of child welfare and juvenile justice policy at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where he has led national efforts to improve outcomes for children and families, including launching initiatives focused on behavioral health and leadership development.
He previously served as director of New Hampshire’s Division for Children, Youth and Families, where he expanded services for at-risk families and helped build a statewide behavioral health system.
Ribsam also spent nearly a decade in leadership roles at New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families, including as deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner for legal, regulatory and legislative affairs.
The Department of Children and Families employs more than 6,600 staff and works with community partners to deliver family-centered services aimed at strengthening families and supporting youth across the state.
