As previously reported by Insider NJ, Melanie Walter will take the helm of the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, succeeding the retiring Charles Richman.

The Murphy Administration released the following announcement this morning:

TRENTON – Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, Chair of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), today announced that Melanie R. Walter, DCA Director of the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) and a former Deputy Attorney General, was appointed as Executive Director by the board at its December 10th meeting.

Ms. Walter served as Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Director of the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) and Local Finance Board Chairwoman for two and half years, first as Acting Director, then under permanent appointment. In that role, Ms. Walter advocated for local government interests, revitalizing the Division’s supportive initiatives and developing grant programs while overseeing the financial and operational regulation of New Jersey local units to help ensure fiscal solvency. Through these functions, she championed transparency measures as well as expansive open data and local education programming and enhanced local procurement, municipal officer certification, and distressed municipality resources.   More recently, Ms. Walter has developed and implemented numerous COVID-19 response and recovery measures.

“Melanie Walter has and will continue to be a major asset to our DCA team, and I look forward to working with her in her new capacity as HMFA Executive Director,” said Lt. Governor Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner and HMFA board chair. “Her broad-ranging experience in local government and community-related matters will continue to serve our state well and I am pleased that she will be taking on this new leadership role to help advance our mission of improving the quality of life of residents in New Jersey.”

Prior to joining DCA in 2018, Walter served as Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Division of Law’s Personnel, Community Affairs, and Elections section. In that capacity, she counseled several departments, handling a broad array of complex counseling and litigation matters for the Department of Community Affairs, the Civil Service Commission, and other state agencies.

Ms. Walter, a New Jersey native, earned her Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary School of Law, her master’s in public policy from the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy at the College of William and Mary, and her bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Mary Washington. She is a member of the New Jersey and Virginia bars.

“I thank Governor Murphy, Lieutenant Governor Oliver, and the NJHMFA Board for the honor of serving New Jersey residents and communities in this new role,” said Melanie Walter. “I look forward to collaborating with the agency’s professional staff and its many stakeholders to continue to expand and preserve access to quality housing across our state, especially at this crucial juncture.”

“Melanie Walter will be an outstanding Executive Director. Her education and legal background as well as her experience directing the Division of Local Government Services will serve her well in the post,” said current NJHMFA Executive Director Charles A. Richman. “I’ve known Melanie for more than 6 years and I have no doubt about her ability to run the HMFA.”

We are proud to welcome Melanie Walter to lead our New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency team.