02 Nov ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES NAME OF LT. GOV. SHEILA Y. OLIVER IS INSTALLED ON ESSEX COUNTY DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS HEADQUARTERS Dedication Ceremony to be scheduled in Spring 2024 to Coincide with Unveiling of Lt. Governor’s Bronze Bust
Published on November 2, 2023
Essex County, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced on Wednesday, November 1st that the Late Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver’s name has been installed on the Essex County Division of Family Assistance and Benefits headquarters in Newark. This is part of the County Executive’s initiative to name the building as the “Essex County Sheila Y. Oliver Division of Family Assistance and Benefits Building” in honor of the late Lt. Governor. A dedication ceremony will be planned in the spring of 2024 to coincide with the unveiling of a bronze bust being created in the Lt. Governor’s likeness.
“Sheila had an extraordinary knowledge of government having served on the East Orange Board of Education, Essex County Board of Freeholders, NJ State Assembly and as Lieutenant Governor. She broke barriers in Trenton to become our first African American Assembly Speaker and our first African American elected to a statewide position as Lieutenant Governor. More importantly, Sheila pursued a career in government and politics because she cared about helping people and making the lives of those in need better,” DiVincenzo said during the funeral service for Lt. Governor Oliver. “Our Division of Family Assistance and Benefits is the safety net that supports our vulnerable, families in need – the people Sheila wanted to help the most. That’s why it’s fitting that we rename the building in her honor,” said DiVincenzo on August 12th. He also noted that when he took office in 2003, Lt. Governor Oliver was his first Director of Citizen Services.
“Sheila was a trailblazer and pioneer who broke racial and gender boundaries in politics and government. Naming our DFAB building in her honor will keep Sheila’s legacy alive, give hope to those who come to our offices seeking assistance and inspire future generations to help others,” the County Executive said in August.
Lt. Governor Oliver was the first African American elected to a statewide office when she was elected as Lieutenant Governor with Governor Murphy in 2017 and was the first female African American to serve as Assembly Speaker when she was elected in 2010.