Aaron R. Fichtner, Ph.D.

Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D. is the President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. Governed by the presidents and trustees of the state’s 18 Community Colleges and enshrined in state law, the Council supports the state’s community colleges and the more than 230,000 students they serve by fostering collaboration, building broad partnerships, and developing innovative solutions that expand economic and educational opportunity and create a skilled workforce to drive economic growth.

Prior to joining the Council, Fichtner served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development from September 2016 to January 2018. He joined the Department in 2010, serving as Assistant Commissioner for Research and Information, and then as Deputy Commissioner.

Before joining state government, Fichtner was the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. Fichtner earned a Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in History from Vassar College.