Kevin Dehmer, Executive Director & Senior Researcher

Kevin Dehmer is Executive Director and Senior Researcher at the Heldrich Center. He is responsible for executive management and day-to-day oversight of research, administration, communications, program development, technical assistance, policy implementation, client services, and project operations. Previously, Kevin was the Assistant Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer of the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). In that position, he oversaw all aspects of public-school funding in New Jersey, including allocating more than $11 billion in state aid annually and over $1 billion in federal grants. From 2017 to 2022, Kevin led a large and diverse group of professionals, including economists, public policy analysts, lawyers, accountants, and technology specialists in that division. Prior to that role, Kevin directed numerous offices within NJDOE, and twice was appointed by New Jersey governors as the Interim/Acting Commissioner of Education. During his more than 15 years in public service, Kevin served on multiple state councils and advisory groups in New Jersey, including the State Employment and Training Commission; the Council on the Green Economy; the Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology; Governor Phil Murphy’s Coronavirus Task Force; and the New Jersey Computer Science Advisory Board. Kevin was educated at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science. He earned a Master’s of Public Policy at Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and was also a Graduate Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.