Education Commissioner Repollet to Head Kean University

By Anthony Birritteri, Editor-in-Chief On May 12, 2020

The Kean University board of trustees announces that New Jersey Commissioner of Education Lamont Repollet, Ed.D., will become the 18th president of the Union-based institution of higher education. Repollet, an alumnus of the university, will succeed Dawood Farahi, Ph.D., who steps down from the position at the end of June after 17 years of service.

In a prepared statement, Repollet said, “I am both humbled and energized by this appointment, and by the faith the board of trustees is placing in me to continue Kean University’s progress as one of the best institutions of higher education in New Jersey I have important work to finish with the state, but I am grateful Governor Murphy supports this next step in my career, and I look forward to working with him in this new role.”

Commenting on the appointment, Gov. Phil Murphy issued a statement saying, “Dr. Repollet was one of the first cabinet appointments I announced, and he quickly distinguished himself as a strong and capable educational leader. For the past nearly 30 months, as Commissioner, he has provided sound oversight and counsel to more than 600 diverse local education agencies across our state.

“During his tenure, he managed the expansion of pre-K across New Jersey, grew STEM opportunities for thousands of students, and facilitated changes to our statewide testing regime. He helped ensure the equitable distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars in new school aid. And, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he has helped our educators and students navigate the challenges of transitioning to remote learning and worked diligently to ensure that our school communities continue to receive the supports they need.

Before joining the Murphy administration, Repollet was superintendent of the Asbury Park School District (2014-2018). While there, he was noted for implementing new instructional and organizational approaches, such as creating the “Power of 10” drop-out prevention program, which resulted in significant increases in the graduation rate.

Repollet graduated from Kean in 2000 with a master’s degree in educational administration. He served on the Kean board of trustees from 2011 to 2018. He has more than 20 years of experience as an educator, ranging from classroom teacher, to principal and superintendent.

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