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Ombudsman Paul Aronson
Paul Aronson currently serves as the Ombudsman for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families across New Jersey, a position he was appointed to by Governor Phil Murphy in April 2018. He serves as the Administration’s leading advocate and ally for New Jersey residents who need critical services and supports from early childhood through adulthood.
Paul was also appointed by President Biden to serve on the President’s Commission on People with Intellectual Disabilities, a federal advisor to the president and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in 2022. He was reappointed last year for another two years.
Paul currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Bergen County Chapter of the NAACP and the Bergen County Disability Services Advisory Board, and is actively involved in various volunteer efforts, most recently focusing on food security, social justice and disability rights.
Previously, Paul held several positions in both the public and private sectors.
Regarding the former, prior to assuming his current role, Paul served as a member of Governor-elect Murphy’s transition team’s Human and Children’s Services Committee, working with families and advocates of people with disabilities to develop recommendations for the incoming administration.
Paul previously served as Mayor and City Councilman for the city of Ridgewood in northern New Jersey. In 2002, he served as Communications Director and Spokesperson for then-New Jersey Governor James McGreevey. He was also a Democratic candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District in 2006.
Earlier in his career, Paul served for several years at the U.S. Department of State, focusing primarily on international security issues such as non-proliferation, arms control and peacekeeping. He also had the opportunity to serve three U.S. Ambassadors to the United Nations: Madeleine Albright, Bill Richardson and Richard Holbrooke.
In the private sector, Paul spent several years working in the healthcare industry, most recently as CEO Speechwriter and Executive Communications Director at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
In 2023, Paul received the “Developmental Disability Systems Change Achievement Award” from the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities. The previous year, he received awards from two other disability organizations, Plan NJ and Inroads to Opportunities. In 2019, Paul received the Chairman’s Award from the Bergen County Council of Churches. In 2016, he received the Community Service Award from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Committee of Ridgewood and Glen Rock. That year, he also received the “Hero” Award from Metropolitan AME Zion Church. In 2009, he received the “Salute to Champions” Award from the Bergen County Executive for his work on disability issues. During his tenure at the U.S. Department of State, Paul received the Meritorious Service Award and Letter of Appreciation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (U.S. Army).
Paul graduated from George Washington University with a BA in Political Communication and a MA in Political Science.
Paul has written many articles and essays on a variety of topics, which can be found on his LinkedIn site.
Paul’s understanding and passion for disability issues is rooted in his family’s experiences, especially from his siblings, including his sister Patty, who lived with disabilities and demonstrated incredible strength, courage, grace and beauty, and from his mother Margot, who was her sister’s primary caregiver.
On a lighter note, Paul considers surviving an appearance on “The Colbert Report” (September 21, 2006) one of his greatest accomplishments…
Paul can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at 609-984-7764.