Eugene L. Lepore

Eugene Lepore is the Vice President of State Government Relations and Policy for Rutgers University. He comes to Rutgers with two decades of experience working in both public policy and higher education.

Prior to joining Rutgers, Mr. Lepore served as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU).  In this role, he collaborated with the presidents and senior leadership of the seven NJASCU institutions to develop the organization’s agenda and objectives. He effectively advocated on behalf of the member institutions to state and federal policy makers. Under his leadership, NJASCU was a key partner and advisor to the State in the development of higher education policy and budgets. Notably, he was a bridge between New Jersey government and the NJASCU institutions as each worked to navigate the challenges to higher education posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Lepore has over 15 years of experience in legislative policymaking.  He served as Acting Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Director of Budget and Fiscal Analysis for the New Jersey Senate Majority Office. During his tenure in the Senate Majority Office, Mr. Lepore advised the Senate President and members of the Democratic Caucus, shepherded several major legislative policy initiatives, developed the annual State Budget in cooperation with his counterparts in the General Assembly and Governor’s Office, and managed legislative staff and operations.

Mr. Lepore previously served as Vice Chair of the New Jersey Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning and served on the Saint Joseph’s University National Alumni Board.  He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Saint Joseph’s University and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He resides in Haddonfield, NJ with his wife and two sons.