New Jersey
Who is Mikie Sherrill’s pick to head NJ education? What to know
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Watch as Mikie Sherrill speaks on her transition to NJ governor
Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill speaks during a press conference discussing the transition to governor in Trenton on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
Gov-elect Mikie Sherrill announced Lily Laux, a former administrator supervising public school programs for Texas, as her pick to lead the State Department of Education.
Laux, a former deputy commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, is currently a principal at ILO group, a consultancy that provides partnership and expertise to K-12 leaders. She will replace the state’s current education commissioner, Kevin Dehmer.
Laux will focus on improving literacy outcomes, expand access to pre-K, increase mental health resources, modernize and stabilize the school funding formula, and invest in high-impact tutoring so every child has the opportunity to succeed, Sherrill’s office said in a statement.
Laux’a LinkedIn profile says she led programs and academics for the Texas public education system, overseeing a multi-billion-dollar annual budget serving 5.5 million students.
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Various divisions reported to her, including Early Childhood Education; Curriculum and Instruction; College, Career, and Military Preparation; Analytics; Innovative Instructional Models; Assessment; and Accountability.
In her current position at ILO Group, she partners with state agencies and districts to implement solutions “from strategy to execution on major priorities,” her profile said.
“New Jersey is proud to have some of the best schools in the country, yet too often student experience varies by ZIP code and resources are misspent or not directed appropriately,” Sherrill said. “Ensuring every student has access to a world-class education is a top priority for my administration.
“That’s why I am proud to nominate Lily Laux to be the next Commissioner of Education,” Sherrill said. “Lily is a lifelong public servant and educator with decades of experience helping children learn and thrive. I look forward to working with her to invest in mental health services, high-impact tutoring, and other critical programs that will expand opportunity and help our children get ahead.”
Laux worked for the state of Texas for seven years, and is known for leading school finance reform and the agency’s COVID-19 response, Sherrill’s office said. Laux is a graduate of Columbia University, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.