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Rob Asaro-Angelo, Commissioner

Robert Asaro-Angelo (Uh-SAR-oh ANN-juh-lo) was nominated by Governor Phil Murphy to serve as the Commissioner of the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development in January 2018.

As Commissioner, Asaro-Angelo is proud to oversee the state’s diverse services to Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ workers. Due in part to the innovation he has spearheaded in Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ, in February, 2021, Asaro-Angelo was chosen by his counterparts across the nation as the Board Chair of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) for the 2021 association year.

In recent years, Congress has called upon the Commissioner multiple times to testify about labor-related topics, including the state’s innovative efforts to develop apprenticeship programs, increase access to paid family and medical leave, and combat unemployment insurance fraud.                     

From 2010 – 2017, Asaro-Angelo served as Eastern Regional Representative for the U.S. Department of Labor under the Obama Administration, managing the department’s regional activities and coordinating federal initiatives on the regional, state, and local levels.

Prior to his government service, Commissioner Asaro-Angelo worked for the Laborers International Union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union Local 1115 organizing and educating public employees, construction workers and nursing home employees about government and politics.

Asaro-Angelo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Boston University and a master’s in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

A proud, life-long Ó£»¨ÊÓƵan, he lives in Middlesex County with his family.

Julie Diaz, Deputy Commissioner

Julie Diaz is the Deputy Commissioner overseeing the areas of Workforce Development, Information Management, Wage & Hour Compliance, Public Safety & Occupational Safety and Health, and Vocational Rehabilitation Services. In this capacity, she plays an instrumental role in ensuring that these programs create a level playing field, for both workers and employers, and contribute to a stronger and fairer economy in our state.

From January 2018 to September 2022, Diaz was NJDOL’s Chief of Staff where she helped develop and implement the agency’s strategic plan, as well as managed all aspects of internal operations. Her commitment to public service is exemplary and longstanding. Her political experience began with a grassroots campaign for then-Senator Barack Obama. Diaz’s dedication to public service includes the position of Outreach Coordinator in the Office of Governor Jon Corzine, and Chief of Staff to a Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ state legislator. She proudly served as Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Political Director for Local 32BJ SEIU (Service Employees International Union) – the largest property services union in the country. In addition, she served on various coalitions and boards that promote protections for immigrants, women’s equality, and worker protections.

A native Ó£»¨ÊÓƵan hailing from Middlesex County, Diaz holds an associate’s degree in Business Administration from Middlesex County College.

Michael B. Marich, Deputy Commissioner

A proud graduate of Rutgers University, Michael Marich has been with NJDOL since 1996 when he started as an hourly Intermittent Labor Service Worker. Marich went on to work within or supervise every unit within the Division of Income Security, most recently serving as the Division's Deputy Assistant Commissioner.

Marich spearheaded the Unemployment Insurance division’s anti-fraud measures, and he has collaborated with colleagues nationwide via the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), National Association of Unemployment Insurance Appeals Professionals (NAUIAP) and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).

As a lifelong Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ resident, Marich and his wife are extremely proud to live and raise their three children in the Garden State.

Kim Walker, Chief of Staff

As Chief of Staff, Kim Walker works closely with the Commissioner and her executive colleagues to develop and administer NJDOL’s wide array of programs and services designed to strengthen Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ workers and businesses, in addition to overseeing all aspects of the department’s internal operations. 

Walker formerly served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Chief of Staff at the NJ Department of Education, and in the Office of Governor Philip D. Murphy in Cabinet Affairs.

Prior to joining the Murphy Administration, she worked as a communications and operations strategist in corporate nonprofit settings across a variety of industries incl