20 Facts About Sheila Oliver

Sheila Y Oliver was born on July 14,1952 and is an American politician serving as the second lieutenant governor of New Jersey since 2018.

Sheila Oliver previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2018, where she represented the 34th legislative district while serving as the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly for two terms, from January 12,2010, to January 14,2014, as a member of the Democratic Party.

Sheila Oliver was sworn in as lieutenant governor on January 16,2018.

Sheila Oliver was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, where she graduated from Weequahic High School in 1970.

On May 6,2018, Sheila Oliver received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Lincoln University.

Sheila Oliver worked in both the public and private sectors, including serving as executive director of The Leaguers, Inc.

Sheila Oliver taught at the college level, including serving as an adjunct faculty member at Essex County College and Caldwell University.

Sheila Oliver served on the Board of Education of the East Orange School District from 1994 to 2000, and was chosen by her peers to serve as its Vice President from 1998 to 1999 and President from 1999 to 2000.

Sheila Oliver served on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders from district 3 for one term from 1996 to 1999, but was defeated for a second term on the board in the June 1999 Democratic primary election.

Sheila Oliver was one of the founders of the Newark Coalition for Low Income Housing, an organization that successfully sued the Newark Housing Authority and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in federal court to block the demolition of all publicly subsidized low income housing in Newark, as there was no plan in place for the construction of replacement housing for low-income Newark residents.

On November 23,2009, Sheila Oliver was elected unanimously by Assembly Democrats to become the 169th Speaker of the Assembly.

Sheila Oliver's election made her the second woman to serve as Speaker in New Jersey history, the first being Marion West Higgins, who served in 1965, and the second African American to hold this post, the first being S Howard Woodson, who first held the post in 1974.

Sheila Oliver was elected in 2011 for a second term as Speaker under the terms of a deal in which she agreed to move legislation forward only with the advance support of 41 of the Democrats in the Assembly.

Sheila Oliver served in the Assembly on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee, the Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee, the Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity, and the Joint Committee on the Public Schools.

Outside of the Legislature, Sheila Oliver worked as an assistant administrator for Essex County.

Sheila Oliver became the fourth African American woman to become a lieutenant governor in America, and the first of which to be a Democrat.

Murphy announced he would appoint Sheila Oliver to serve as commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, a cabinet appointment, made under a provision of the New Jersey Constitution that allows the governor to appoint his lieutenant governor to a cabinet post without requiring the approval of the New Jersey Senate.

Sheila Oliver is the first black woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, and the first woman of color elected to statewide office in New Jersey.

Sheila Oliver had to resign her legislative seat by noon on January 16,2018, the date she and Murphy were sworn in.

When Carlos Rendo, during their one televised debate, challenged her decision to run for both seats, Sheila Oliver said that she had filed to run for re-election before she was chosen by Murphy as his running mate and would resign from her Assembly seat if she and Murphy were elected.