Medinah E. Muhammad

 

Medinah Muhammad has been a lifelong resident of Essex County, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rutgers University–Newark Graduate School with a Master’s degree in Political Science.

 

Her career began as a staff member for the Essex County Board of Commissioners, where she worked closely with the President of the Board to expand outreach to Essex County residents. At only 23 years old, Medinah was tapped to serve as Chief of Staff to Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake of the 34th legislative district, the youngest person to hold such a title. During her tenure, she worked on legislation to provide driver’s licenses to undocumented residents, increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour, decriminalize cannabis, expand access to maternal health, and more.

 

After three years of service in this role, Medinah went on to become a Senior Legislative Aide to Governor Phil Murphy, leading the charge on key policy issues, including reducing recidivism, improving correctional facilities, reforming the criminal justice system, expanding affordable housing, expanding access to home ownership, increasing economic development efforts, and more. During her tenure, she also served as the liaison to the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, advocating for issues that directly impacted Black communities across the state, including the Amistad Commission, increasing access to voting rights, and much more. In 2022, Medinah led the charge in the passage of the Governor’s Gun Safety Package 3.0, a set of laws that have made New Jersey one of the strictest places for gun safety.

 

Currently, Medinah serves as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, a new division within the authority that seeks to build and maintain relationships with elected officials, ranging from local Mayors to our state’s federal delegation, to create legislation and conduct outreach to the benefit of our state’s economy, small business owners, and various work sectors.

 

Medinah has been highlighted in various publications, including Insider NJ’s “100 Top Millennials List” and “100 Top Policymakers List”, along with a recent feature in Rutgers Today, highlighting her work in New Jersey politics. Since 2015, she has served as a volunteer mentor for Big Brother Big Sister of Essex County. Medinah is also a 2019 graduate of Emerge New Jersey and a 2022 New Leaders Council Graduate.