Lily Laux has been nominated by Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill to serve as the next Commissioner of Education for New Jersey. Laux brings nearly 20 years of experience in education, nonprofit leadership, and administration at state education departments. Her previous roles include serving as deputy commissioner for the Texas Education Agency.
Governor-elect Sherrill stated, “New Jersey is proud to have some of the best schools in the country, yet too often student experience varies by ZIP code and resources are misspent or not directed appropriately. Ensuring every student has access to a world-class education is a top priority for my administration. That’s why I am proud to nominate Lily Laux to be the next Commissioner of Education. Lily is a lifelong public servant and educator with decades of experience helping children learn and thrive. I look forward to working with her to invest in mental health services, high-impact tutoring, and other critical programs that will expand opportunity and help our children get ahead.”
Lieutenant Governor-elect Caldwell also voiced support for Laux’s nomination: “I am proud to support Lily Laux as our next Commissioner of Education. As an educator, I have always believed education is the key to a fair society. I look forward to working with Laux to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education that will open doors and create opportunities. With decades of education work, she is exactly the type of experienced leader we need to deliver for our students.”
In response, Laux said, “It’s an honor to be nominated and I thank Gov.-elect Sherrill and Lt. Gov.-elect Caldwell for their trust in me. We share the same powerful commitment to ensuring New Jersey’s students are prepared not only for college and careers, but have access to real opportunities to personally thrive. A high-quality education does not just open doors and create opportunities, but can inspire young people to pursue their dreams. Our responsibility is clear: ensure every student, statewide, has access to an outstanding education. I look forward to serving the over 1 million New Jersey students every day and fighting to provide them the resources they need to succeed.”
Laux currently works as a principal at ILO Group where she collaborates with state agencies and school districts on implementing major educational priorities. Her tenure at the Texas Education Agency included leading efforts on school finance reform, managing COVID-19 response initiatives, training educators on reading instruction methods, developing instructional materials used by hundreds of districts, and revamping pathways that increased dual diploma-associate degree graduations.
Her career began as a middle school teacher in Memphis before moving into roles such as Executive Director at Economic Mobility Systems—a nonprofit focused on improving outcomes for underserved students—and with Teach For America. She holds degrees from Columbia University (bachelor’s), University of Memphis (master’s in teaching), and University of Texas at Austin (Ph.D.).
