New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently appointed former Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler as the new executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA).
Murphy will be the fourth executive director at CRDA since Murphy took office in 2017. The group’s board of directors will vote to approve the appointment at its May meeting, officials said.
The position has been vacant since Sean Patwell departed last December. Patwell had held the position for less than two years. Maisha Moore, former chief of staff to Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam, has served as interim executive director. According to public records, CRDA executive directors receive an annual salary of $175,000.
Scheffler, a former Atlantic City police lieutenant, was elected sheriff in 2017, beating Republican Jack Glasser by 6 points. He was re-elected over Republican Joe O’Donoghue by a 55 percent margin, but was defeated by O’Donoghue last year by 6 percent.
Michael Suleiman, chairman of the Atlantic County Democratic Committee, said Scheffler is an outstanding choice due to his familiarity with Atlantic City and his experience managing the county sheriff’s office. “One of the great things that made him such a successful sheriff is that he had relationships that transcend political parties. Eric is going to get things going on day one which is important because we don’t have time to waste in Atlantic City,” Suleiman said.
Scheffler’s two terms as Atlantic County sheriff will end December 31, but the Hope One program, which he founded to provide services to addicted and mentally ill persons, will continue, he said.
