Gov.-elect Phil Murphy’s inaugural committee has deleted a biography of its executive director, Liz Gilbert, from it’s website. It’s probably safe to assume that someone objected to placing a staff biography alongside the incoming Governor, First Lady and Lt. Governor.
As first reported by InsiderNJ, Gilbert is Murphy’s pick to become the new Executive Director of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. Gilbert, an operative who is a recent New Jersey transplant, served as Tammy Murphy’s chief of staff during the campaign.
The appointment of Gilbert, a Murphy loyalist, will set up a direct line between the front office and the state party that could leave Democratic State Chairman John Currie out of the loop. Murphy is the first Governor in many years – if ever — to inherit a state party chairman.
Here’s something about Gilbert that most people don’t know: her father and grandfather both played in the Chicago White Sox organization. Mark Gilbert, her father, played in seven games for the White Sox in 1985. He went 6-for-11 in his final three games against the Orioles. Then he suffered a knee injury that ended his career.
Gilbert wound up in the investment banking business, including some time with Goldman Sachs. He wound up raising money for Democratic candidates, and was the Deputy National Finance Chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the time Murphy was National Finance Chairman. Gilbert served as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from 2015 until former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown replaced him last year.
