Sheila Y. Oliver

Sheila Y. Oliver (born July 14, 1952) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2004, where she represents the 34th legislative district. She is the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, having taken office on January 12, 2010 after the retirement of Joseph J. Roberts. She is the second woman to serve as Speaker in New Jersey history, the first being Marion West Higgins, who served in 1965, and the second African American to hold this post, the first being S. Howard Woodson, who first held the post in 1974.^[1]

Oliver serves in the Assembly on the Human Services Committee (as Chair), the Higher Education Committee and the Labor Committee.^[2]

She served on the East Orange Board of Education from 1994-2000, as its President from 1999-2000 and as Vice President from 1998-1999. She served on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1996-1999.^[2] In 1997, she became the first woman to launch a competitive campaign for Mayor in the City of East Orange, losing the election by a mere 51 votes.

Oliver was one of the founders of the Newark Coalition for Low Income Housing, an organization that successfully sued the Newark Housing Authority and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in federal court to block the demolition of all publicly subsidized low income housing in Newark, as there was no plan in place for the construction of replacement housing for low-income Newark residents. As a result, the Newark Housing Authority was directed by a federal consent order to build one-for-one replacement housing for low-income residents.

Oliver graduated with a B.A. from Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) in Sociology and was awarded an M.S. from Columbia University in Planning and Administration.^[2]

District 34

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 34th District for the 2010-2011 Legislative Session are:

• Senator Nia Gill, and
• Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin

References

External links

• Assemblywoman Oliver's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
  • 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
• New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003