The Murphy administration has nominated Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton of Asbury Park to serve as the new Commissioner of the Motor Vehicle Commission. Fulton is currently the Executive Director of Women in the Service Change Initiative.
If confirmed, this would make her the first high level government appointment of an LGBT person since Governor Murphy’s inauguration.
Fulton was member of the first class at West Point to admit women in 1980, and she served in the army until she was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain.
After leaving the service she founded multiple organizations that advocate for LGBT military members.
In July 2011, she was appointed by President Obama as the first openly gay member of the West Point Board of Visitors and became the first female USMA graduate to chair the Board in 2015.
Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s largest LGBT organization, applauds Governor Murphy’s decision to place Fulton in this prominent position.
“We endorsed Phil Murphy during his campaign because we were confident he would chose competent and qualified leaders for New Jersey. He has shown us today that our belief in him was well-founded,” said Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director of Garden State Equality. “We are optimistic that this is just the beginning of a long line of appointments and decisions made by Governor Murphy that will positively impact and be reflective of the LGBT community.”
The MVC is composed of eight members, four of whom are appointed by the governor.
Three cabinet members also serve on the MVC on an ex-officio basis: the New Jersey Attorney General, the State Treasurer, and the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
The eighth position is reserved for the Chief Administrator, a non-voting member, who also serves as the Chair of the MVC.
