Valerie Merritt is a Newark, New Jersey native currently residing in the Township of Irvington, New Jersey. She received her early education in the Newark Public Schools and went on to graduate from Clifford J. Scott High School in East Orange. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and aMaster’s degree in Organizational Management—both from Centenary University in Parsippany.

Valerie is also a graduate of Leadership Newark, a two-year public policy fellowship program that selects emerging leaders and professionals committed to the improvement of the greater Newark community.

Valerie developed a love of communications, public relations and community engagement workearly in her career while with New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third largest transportation agency. After 14 years with the agency, she went on to spend eight years with the Newark Public Schools District where she served on leadership teams for four different Superintendents. Valerie provided strategic communications counsel to leadership during a significant period ofchange. She also was instrumental in the District’s efforts to build public confidence,communicate and promote educational reforms, policies, and initiatives—all to support local schools, district offices, and the Newark community at-large.

Valerie is a woman of character and substance. One of her career accomplishments that she is most proud of is creating the tagline “Changing Hearts and Minds to Value Education” in 2009 for the Newark Public Schools. The tagline resonated throughout the District and the community, resulting in it being trademarked and now owned by the Newark Public Schools—afirst for New Jersey’s largest public-school district. Valerie also highlight's one of her career accomplishments as having the ability to connect people and cultivate relationships that support and strengthen communities. These skills resulted in her being elected president of her condo association and serving in this capacity for the past ten years.

Most recently, Valerie has lent her skills and talents to advance communications, PR and media strategies for non-profit organizations.

Valerie is a proud member of the National Black MBA Association and lives by one core creed— ”service above self improves the world”. And she always aims to leave an environment, nomatter how challenging, better than she found it.

Valerie enjoys traveling, interior design, working out, and spending time with family and friends whenever possible.