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JERSEY CITY, N.J. | Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop presented º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ (º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½) President Andrés Acebo with an official proclamation recognizing his transformative leadership as º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½'s 13th President during a ceremony at City Hall on November 13, 2025.

The proclamation honors President Acebo's "extraordinary vision, guiding º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ through a fiscal emergency to a remarkable recovery which will be a case study throughout higher ed," noting that he has led the university through "the most critical period in its 98-year history and orchestrated a remarkable financial and academic recovery."

City Council Ward E Councilmember James Solomon and newly appointed Ward B Councilmember Maureen Hulings also attended the ceremony to show their support for President Acebo and º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½.

The proclamation concludes: "NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, STEVEN M. FULOP, MAYOR of the City of Jersey City, hereby recognizes and congratulates Andrés Acebo on being appointed the 13th President of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

President Acebo, who grew up in Union City, N.J., has maintained strong ties to the community throughout his career in higher education. Under his leadership, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ has navigated unprecedented challenges while positioning the university for long-term success through its planned merger with Kean University.

The full text of the proclamation reads as follows:

Recognizing

Andres Acebo

WHEREAS, the City of Jersey City is proud to recognize and congratulate, Andres Acebo on being appointed as the 13th President of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½; and

WHEREAS, Andres Acebo is the proud first-generation son of Cuban exiles and a Hudson County native who grew up in Union City, N.J., and has maintained strong ties to the community. In January 2023, he became only the third Hispanic to serve as the leader of a four-year public institution of higher education in the State of New Jersey. He is the youngest known president to ever lead a regional public comprehensive university in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, in just over two years of widely praised mission-driven servant leadership, Andres Acebo has demonstrated extraordinary vision, guiding º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ from a fiscal emergency to a remarkable recovery which will be a case study throughout higher ed. 

WHEREAS, Acebo has led the university through the most critical period in its 98-year history and orchestrated a remarkable financial and academic recovery. Marking the next chapter in delivering accessible public higher education to the Jersey City and Hudson County communities, Acebo in May to advance a historic merger to integrate º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ into Kean University, two mission-aligned institutions, which once completed will create Kean Jersey City; and

WHEREAS, In May 2024, ROI-NJ named him the in New Jersey Higher Education in the 2024 Higher Education Influencers annual publication. In September 2024, he in the 2024 NJBiz Education Power 50 List. Acebo earned the highest ranking of any college or university president in New Jersey in the 2024 Power 50. In October 2024, he was named to the 2024 ROI Power and Influencer Awards Champions of the C-Suite Top 30 list. Acebo is the first leader in º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ history ever selected as a Champion of the C-Suite by ROI-NJ and one of only three educational leaders statewide selected to the Top 30; and 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, STEVEN M. FULOP, MAYOR of the City of Jersey City, hereby recognizes and congratulates Andres Acebo on being appointed the 13th President of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

About º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½: 
º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Consistent with our mission, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ is recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, ensuring students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of New Jersey.

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Contact: 
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301