Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor has announced the appointment of Oliver B. Quinn, distinguished attorney, organizational ethics expert, former judge and Deputy Solicitor of the U.S. Department of Labor, and former Assistant Dean at Rutgers University Law School – Newark as Strategic Transition Leader for the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies. He will guide a strategic analysis as the university prepares to search for a new director of the center, which has been led by Dr. Roland Anglin, a nationally recognized expert in economic and community development, who is leaving to become Dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.
“Roland has built an extraordinary profile of research, evaluation, and collaborative partnerships at the Cornwall Center, positioning it to grow in its impact even further. Oliver brings a rich set of experiences from his long career in the public, private and nonprofit sectors with an acute understanding of public policy issues and processes and a proven track record of creating positive impact and outcomes as a leader, visionary and strategist,” stated Chancellor Cantor. She added, “Oliver offers an extraordinary ability for independent assessment and we are delighted to have such a capable partner on board during the transition.”
“I am honored and excited by this opportunity to provide service and expertise to my alma mater and to this amazing Center that is engaged in research and deeply collaborative partnerships in the City of Newark and with Mayor Baraka, such as the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC), as we shepherd in a new generation of leadership,” stated Quinn.
Among the leading legal, policy and administrative positions Quinn has held are Deputy Solicitor with the U.S. Department of Labor; Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Labor; Administrative Law Judge, State of New Jersey; Assistant Counsel, Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives; and Assistant Dean, Rutgers University Law School-Newark. Following his public sector career, he served as Chief Regulatory Compliance Officer for Prudential HealthCare, Inc. and later as Corporate Vice President and Chief Business Ethics Officer at Prudential Financial, where he promoted an ethical business environment by addressing issues such as ethics, conflicts of interest, sales practices, employment disputes and financial reporting. Most recently, he has been Senior Counselor and Director of the Newark Office at Taft Communications, a New Jersey-based communications and public affairs firm, advising clients on compliance and ethics; dispute resolution; leadership development and diversity.
Quinn has been closely connected to Rutgers-Newark over the past decade, supporting the work of the law school, including its Minority Student Program (MSP), and serving since 2013 as chair of the university’s advisory board. “It will be a true joy to be able to contribute to such a pivotal part of the university’s strategic initiatives represented by the programs and projects of the Cornwall Center,” he said.
