Heather Howard is New Jersey’s Commissioner of Health and Senior Services. She is an attorney with 15 years of policy experience at the state and federal level in the areas of child and family issues, women’s health, hospital and physician regulations, and health programs for vulnerable populations. Prior to becoming Commissioner, she was Governor Jon Corzine’s counsel on policy issues. She worked closely with the Governor’s Commission on Rationalizing Healthcare Resources, a group studying the state’s financially stressed healthcare delivery system. She also played a key role in the successful effort to protect New Jersey FamilyCare, the state’s health insurance program for low income children and families, from federal funding cuts. Ms. Howard earned her J.D. cum laude from New York University School of Law and a B.A. cum laude in history and Spanish from Duke University.

Ms. Howard was sworn in as an ex officio member of the Board on February 19, 2008. Her board term coincides with her tenure as Commissioner of Health and Senior Services.