Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver
Photo Credit: Office of NJ Governor
Sheila Y. Oliver served as New Jersey’s 2nd Lieutenant Governor from January 16, 2018, until her passing on August 1, 2023. A self-described “Jersey Girl,” born and raised in an ethnically diverse Newark neighborhood, she was inspired as a young girl to fight for the voiceless when she recognized the societal injustices and inequities around her. She often cited A Tale of Two Cities as her early awakening. Sheila built a successful career in public service, advocating for social justice, women’s equality, and education. In 2017, she became the first woman of color elected to a statewide office in New Jersey. In 2021, she was reelected to a second term.
Along with her duties as Lieutenant Governor, she served as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, leading initiatives to improve affordable housing, community revitalization, homelessness prevention, and services for New Jersey’s 564 municipalities. Under her leadership, the Department expanded efforts to assist distressed communities through programs such as the federal Opportunity Zones tax incentive, Main Street New Jersey, the Neighborhood Preservation Program, the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program, and the Urban Enterprise Zone Program, which she helped renew in 2021.
As Acting Governor, she signed several key bills into law. These included the creation of a Caregiver Task Force to support those caring for elderly or disabled loved ones, a requirement that public school students in grades 6–8 receive financial literacy education, legislation to strengthen equal pay protections by barring employers from asking about prior salaries, and protections against wage theft. She also signed legislation creating a Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program to help divert youth from the juvenile justice system.
Sheila’s career spanned the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, and she taught college courses throughout her life. She served on the East Orange Board of Education and the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In 2003, she was elected to represent the 34th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly. In 2010, she made history again as the first African American woman in New Jersey to serve as Assembly Speaker, and only the second in U.S. history to lead a state legislative house.
A proud graduate of Newark public schools, she earned her bachelor’s degree cum laude from Lincoln University and a Master of Science in Community Organization, Planning, and Administration from Columbia University. She received honorary doctorates from NJIT, Lincoln University, Montclair State, Stockton University, and both Berkeley and Essex County Colleges.
A 40-plus-year resident of East Orange, Sheila cherished her time with her 95-year-old mother, who encouraged her to think critically and serve others through effective policy. She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Clay Oliver Sr., and later by her mother, Jennie Oliver. She is survived by her brother, Charles Clay Oliver Jr., and sister-in-law, Sylvia Oliver; her nieces and nephew/godson—Leah, Charles, and Renee Oliver; and her great-nieces and great-nephews—Jaxson, Kayela, Kaari, Charles (CJ), and Jru. She also leaves behind many beloved relatives and friends.