Gov.-elect Phil Murphy on Tuesday named a former U.S. Labor Department official under President Barack Obama as his choice for labor commissioner and appointed nearly a dozen senior staff members to his incoming administration.
Robert Asaro-Angelo represented the eastern region in Obama's labor department from 2010 until last February. He has a union background, having worked for the Laborers International Union of North America, AFSCME and SEIU 1199.
He also served on the White House Hurricane Sandy Task Force, White House Task Force on Puerto Rico and Regional U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, according to the news release.
"New Jersey needs to be put on an entirely new economic course, one that reflects our values -- diverse, inclusive, innovative, and backed by the best-educated, best-skilled workforce that grows and strengthens our middle class," Asaro-Angelo said in a statement.
"And we must stand for the rights and protections of all New Jersey workers, regardless of background or profession," he said.
He is the third former Obama official tapped by Murphy, who -- like the former president -- is a Democrat.
Murphy has previously said he will nominatedformer Carole Johnson, who served on the White House Domestic Policy Council health team, to lead the Department of Human Services. And sources told NJ Advance Media that Murphy intends to nominate Shereef Elnahal, who is Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality, Safety & Value in the Veterans Health Administration, as health commissioner.
Asaro-Angelo must be confirmed by the Senate.
Murphy's transition team also named 11 people who will serve on his senior staff:
* Adam Alonso will be Murphy's deputy chief of staff for public engagement and intergovernmental affairs. He's the founder and CEO of the Cratos Group, a Bergen County-based public affairs consulting firm.
* Justin Braz, deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs. Braz is the former chief of staff for Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, and the political coordinator for 1199 SEIU.
* Kathleen Frangione, chief policy adviser. She's a former executive vice president of the Washington D.C. policy and political consultancy firm the Signal Group. She previously served as senior policy advisor on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee under then-Sen. John Kerry, acting as lead staffer on climate change issues, according to the transition office.
* Parimal Garg, deputy chief counsel. He clerked for New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and worked at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in Washington, D.C.
* Mahen Gunaratna, director of communications, worked as deputy communications director to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio since January 2017.
* Lynn Haynes, deputy chief of staff for cabinet affairs and operations. She's a partner in the Trenton-based Advocacy & Management Group, which she joined in 2014 after four years as deputy executive director and chief counsel for Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester.
* Joe Kelley, deputy chief of staff for economic growth. He worked as the deputy campaign manager and finance director for Murphy's gubernatorial campaign.
* Mary Maples, deputy chief counsel for authorities. Maples is the senior counsel for the state's authorities unit. Prior to that, she worked at the CIA as assistant general counsel.
* Kate McDonnell, deputy chief counsel. She's currently works as general counsel to the Assembly Majority Office.
* Scarlett Rajski, director of appointments. She works in the Corporate and Regulatory Affairs division at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
* Stephanie Lagos, chief of staff to First Lady Tammy Snyder Murphy. Lagos was a senior policy adviser to Murphy's gubernatorial campaign.
NJ Advance Media staff writer Matt Arco contributed to this report.
Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.