hoboken

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla today announced the appointment of Assistant Business Administrator Caleb Stratton as Hoboken’s Acting Business Administrator and the naming of Director of Climate Action & Innovation Jennifer Gonzalez as the new Assistant Business Administrator.  

“Caleb Stratton and Jen Gonzalez have been integral to Hoboken’s transformation over the last decade,” said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. “Together, they’ve been responsible for implementing hundreds of millions of dollars in capital projects, securing millions in grant funding and low-interest loans, and have overseen nearly every department in City Hall. Both are independently certified experts in their fields of resiliency and sustainability, and they bring more than a decade of combined Hoboken municipal experience, building and managing budgets, navigating crises, and planning for the future. Their commitment to Hoboken is commendable, and I have the utmost faith in their ability to lead our City into its next chapter.”  

Stratton currently serves as Hoboken’s Chief Resilience Officer and Assistant Business Administrator. Since joining the City in 2012, he has led many of Hoboken’s capital and resiliency initiatives. He supervises the delivery of the City’s infrastructure programs, including facilitating the $392 million Rebuild by Design – Hudson River (RBD-HR) flood risk reduction project, a landmark initiative in regional climate adaptation and flood mitigation.

Stratton is certified by the American Planning Association (AICP) and the American Society of Floodplain Managers (CFM) and he holds a Professional Planner (PP) license from the State of New Jersey. He earned his undergraduate degree in Urban Planning from the University at Albany and a Masters in Sustainability from the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. His tenure with the City began as a Principal Planner, and he became Assistant Business Administrator in 2019, and served as Acting Business Administrator during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, where he helped lead evolving municipal operations, digitizing City services, establishing health protocols, and securing critical American Rescue Plan funding.  

As Assistant Business Administrator, Stratton has participated in the City’s budgeting process and overseen personnel matters and capital planning projects, including the construction of resiliency parks and other initiatives that have enhanced Hoboken’s long-term preparedness.

“I’m honored by Mayor Bhalla’s trust and proud to continue serving the City in this new capacity,” said Stratton. “I look forward to supporting our city staff in the ongoing maintenance and improvement of municipal operations.”

Gonzalez has served the City since 2016, beginning as a Principal Planner before being appointed Director of Environmental Services in 2019 and Director of Climate Action & Innovation in 2024. She currently serves as the City’s Chief Sustainability Officer. She holds a Masters in Environmental Policy from Lehigh University, AICP, PP, CFM, and LEED Green Associate.

As the Director of Climate Action & Innovation, Gonzalez oversees capital planning and implementation, engineering and the water utility, innovation and data, and information systems. During her tenure, she has led numerous sustainability and environmental initiatives, including the implementation of Hoboken’s Green Infrastructure Plan, the creation of the largest resiliency park in the State, ResilienCity Park, and the expansion of Southwest Resiliency Park. She spearheaded the City’s first Climate Action Plan and launched the Community Solar Program. Gonzalez has also overseen fleet electrification and waste reduction programs, including dual-stream recycling and the citywide composting drop-off program, while managing the Department of Environmental Services.

“Having served the City that I love for nearly a decade, I am both excited and humbled by the opportunity to become the Assistant Business Administrator,” said Gonzalez. “I look forward to continuing to integrate fiscal and environmental sustainability into municipal operations. I thank Mayor Bhalla for his confidence in me to fill this role.”

Gonzalez will continue to oversee the Department of Climate Action & Innovation with Deputy Director RJ Theofield.  

Stratton and Gonzalez will assume their new roles on May 8.

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