Tim Hillmann started today as Gov. Phil Murphy’s new chief of staff, replacing Dianne Gutierrez-Scaccetti.
Gutierrez-Scaccetti will remain on the governor’s staff for the next two weeks, and then will shift to a consulting role in the administration to work on special projects.
Hillmann, 35, joined Murphy’s staff as appointments director in 2019 after spending almost nine years as an aide to U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. His father, Fred Hillmann, was the chief political reporter for the Star-Ledger in the newspaper’s heyday and later served as a top aide to U.S. Senator Bill Bradley and Senate Majority Communications Director. His mother, Tracie DeSarno, is a prominent government relations executive.
Gutierrez-Scaccetti is Murphy’s third chief of staff. His first, Peter Cammarano, lasted about one year. George Helmy, who served as chief of staff from 2019 to 2023, is the leading candidate to replace Bob Menendez in the U.S. Senate.