TRENTON, N.J. — Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill announced Monday that Dave Cole will continue to serve as New Jersey’s chief innovation officer, leading the state’s Office of Innovation as her administration prepares to take office.
The announcement comes as Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Monday establishing the New Jersey Innovation Authority and formally codifying the Office of Innovation as an authority within, but not of, the Department of the Treasury. Under the incoming Sherrill-Caldwell administration, Cole will continue efforts to modernize state services for residents, businesses and public institutions.
Cole has spent five years with the Office of Innovation, including serving as chief innovation officer, and previously worked in the White House and the private sector. During his tenure, state officials said New Jersey has become a national model for using technology to improve government services and service delivery.
“I am honored to have Dave Cole continue as our state’s Chief Innovation Officer. He has been a true leader in this space in New Jersey, and his broad experience across the public and private sector will be invaluable as we work to build a stronger New Jersey economy and a state government that works smarter for you. I look forward to working with Dave as we modernize the way New Jerseyans access state government services and build a government that works for everyone. At a time when our state programs and economy are under attack from Washington, I’m delighted to have an experienced innovator like Dave on my team to help build a more affordable Garden State,” Sherrill said.
Lt. Gov.-elect Dr. Dale Caldwell said Cole’s continued leadership will be critical to improving state services.
“I look forward to working with Dave Cole to cut through red tape and improve our state services. Right now, we need experienced leaders like Dave Cole to help deliver for New Jerseyans. At a time when our economy is under attack from Trump’s chaotic and unaffordable agenda, it’s critical we tap into New Jersey’s long history of innovation and work to save residents time and money at every turn,” Caldwell said.
Cole said he is honored to continue in the role under the incoming administration.
“I am honored to continue to serve as New Jersey’s Chief Innovation Officer under Governor-elect Sherrill’s leadership. Together, we will continue to harness innovation to bolster our state’s economy, take a state-of-the-art approach to modernizing how residents get services, cut through red tape, and improve government efficiency. We will continue to put New Jerseyans at the center of our work, engaging residents and businesses throughout our process to design and deploy solutions that deliver results. I am excited to work with Gov.-elect Sherrill, Lt. Gov.-elect Caldwell, and our state agency partners to use technology and innovation to save New Jerseyans time and money,” Cole said.
Cole has served as chief innovation officer and as a member of Murphy’s Cabinet for the past two years. Before that, he worked at the Office of Innovation from 2020 to 2024, helping lead the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and serving as a software engineer and head of resident experience.
Before entering state government, Cole was global vice president of strategy and operations at an artificial intelligence-based technology startup and served as a senior adviser to the chief information officer and deputy director of new media in the Obama administration. A New Jersey native, he is a graduate of Rutgers University.
