Noreen Giblin leaving governor’s office, Aaron Creuz will head authorities unit

A member of Gov. Phil Murphy’s senior staff is set to depart next month.

Noreen Giblin is leaving her position as deputy chief counsel and authorities unit director to become an associate counsel at PSE&G to handle regulatory matters.

Murphy has tapped Aaron Creuz, a senior counsel to the governor, to replace her.

“Noreen has served my Administration as a trusted advisor since 2018, demonstrating her expertise and extensive knowledge in state government in multiple leadership capacities including Chief Counsel at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Cabinet Secretary, and Deputy Chief Counsel and Director of the Governor’s Authorities Unit,” Murphy said.  “Having worked in state government numerous times over the last two decades, Noreen has repeatedly shown her dedication to this state and an unwavering devotion to public service.  She will be missed, and we wish her the best in her next chapter.”

Murphy said he’s looking forward to working with Creuz.

“With his background in labor, employment, and personnel issues, Aaron brings experience both inside and outside of state government that will serve him well in this crucial position,” the governor said.

Giblin joined the governor’s office staff as cabinet secretary after serving as chief counsel at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.  She had previously served as chief of staff at the BPU, as deputy authorities unit director under  Gov. James E. McGreevey,  and as U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s state director.  She is the daughter of Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (D-Montclair) and the granddaughter of State Sen. John J. Giblin (D-Newark).

As a top Murphy advisor, Giblin played a key role in building the administration’s clean energy platform, including offshore wind projects, solar plans, and the state’s 2019 Energy Master Plan.

“Noreen Giblin has earned universal respect and admiration throughout the State during her career in public service and the private sector over the last two decades,” said Murphy’s chief counsel, Parimal Garg.  “She has been an invaluable leader within the governor’s office, leading the administration’s efforts on complex and consequential issues both within the cabinet and the state’s 50-plus authorities. She will be greatly missed, and we wish her nothing but the best as she moves back to the private sector.”

Giblin is expected to have more success at PSEG than Tom Moran, who left his post as an editorial writer for the Star-Ledger in 2008 to join the energy company.   After a short-lived tenure in the private sector, Moran apparently found the private sector difficult and soon returned to the newspaper business.

Creuz was a deputy attorney general before joining the governor’s office as an associate counsel in 2021, dealing with labor and workforce issues, including civil service, consumer affairs, and information technology.  He was promoted to senior counsel in March.   Creuz was a law clerk to Superior Court Judge Deborah Silverman Katz.

“Since our office hired Aaron in 2021, I have seen him handle difficult labor and employment issues with skill and professionalism,” Garg stated.  “He is a terrific colleague, and I am excited to see him take on this unique and challenging position.”

This is the second Murphy senior staffer to move to PSEG in the last eight months.  Alyana Alfaro Post joined them in October after serving as Murphy’s press secretary.