Gov. Phil Murphy has promoted Natalie Hamilton to the position of press secretary, marking her continued advancement in an administration she joined as an intern in 2019.
“Natalie has been an indispensable part of my team. Her instincts and command of the issues, coupled with her unparalleled work ethic, will continue to serve her well in this new role,” Murphy said. “I have the utmost faith in her ability to carry our message as press secretary for my administration.”
After graduating from the University of Delaware, Hamilton worked on Murphy’s re-election campaign in 2021 and joined the governor’s office that year.
In 2023, she took a short leave of absence to serve as a communications advisor to Brandon Presley, the Democratic candidate for governor of Mississippi.
Hamilton is the first press secretary since Alyana Alfaro Post left in October 2022 to join PSEG. The governor’s communications team has changed recently, with Alex Altman leaving earlier this year to serve as communications director for First Lady Tammy Murphy’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Murphy also announced that Maggie Garbarino will replace Hamilton as deputy press secretary. Garbarino has spent the last three years as deputy press secretary to Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin in the Assembly Majority Office. Before joining state government, Garbarino worked at the Lesniak Institute for American Leadership at Kean University.
“Maggie will handle a portfolio of key issues, including education and labor,” stated Murphy. “We’re happy to have her on board to help us continue communicating these groundbreaking policies to the public.”
Hamilton and Garbarino will work with Murphy’s longtime communications director, Mahen Gunaratna.