Farias named Deputy Executive Director of Casino Reinvestment Development Authority

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has named Rosa Farias as its new Deputy Executive Director. Farias replaces Marshall Spevak after his departure of the agency in August.

“We are excited to welcome Rosa to CRDA,” said CRDA Executive Director Matt Doherty. “She brings well over 15 years of work experience in local and state government, and will be proactive in promoting economic and community development initiatives in Atlantic City and throughout the region.”

Farias joins the CRDA after working as the Deputy Executive Director for the Atlantic City’s Initiatives Project Office, whose creation was a direct recommendation by Jim Johnson, former Special Counsel to Governor Murphy, and which functions as an office within the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Before joining ACIPO, she was the Director of Urban Policy for the Senate Majority office where she was the lead for both the Senate Community and Urban Affairs and Senate Higher Education committees.

"Having grown up in south Jersey, I understand that Atlantic City has always been a place of great importance regionally,” Farias said. "It's an honor that I get to work in helping Atlantic City move forward to improve the lives of its residents. I am excited to take on this new challenge especially after the great foundational work over the last year at ACIPO.”

“Rosa is a dedicated public servant who brought incredible energy, optimism and tenacity to the Department of Community Affairs’ Atlantic City Initiatives Project Office. In the past year, her work has positively impacted so many aspects of Atlantic City, including cultural activities, youth development, civic engagement and city government,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who is DCA Commissioner. “While Rosa will be deeply missed at DCA, we are glad she isn’t going far and that she will continue to help revitalize Atlantic City, a community that I personally know is close to her heart.”

Farias has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers University, and earned her master’s degree from the Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration with concentrations in community development and social capital building. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University where she taught courses in community development and public administration.

Recently, she received the Champion of Change award from the Hispanic Leadership Association of New Jersey.

At the CRDA, the Galloway resident will be responsible for helping Doherty fulfill CRDA’s mission and will continue participating on the Atlantic City Executive Council, a group of leaders who meet regularly to tackle problems highlighted by Special Counsel Jim Johnson’s Atlantic City transition report.