Christie names ex-prosecutor, freeholder to cabinet

Gov. Christie Monday named a former prosecutor to head the state Department of Community Affairs, and a Sussex County freeholder to head the state Department of Labor.

"We have a series of difficult challenges we must tackle and overcome," Christie said in a statement. "I am confident that with this team in place we will fundamentally change the way New Jersey government operates."

Lori Grifa, 46, of Montclair, would head community affairs. A Toms River native, she was chief of staff in the Attorney General's office during Gov. James E. McGreevey's administration under former Attorney General David Samson, who headed Christie's transition team. She also worked in district attorneys' offices in New York City.

Heading up the Department of Labor would be Hal Wirths, 42, a Sussex County freeholder from Wantage since 2000. Wirths is a founding member of Highland's State Bank and until 2004 owned a furniture store.

Both must be confirmed by the state senate.

The two will work on the front lines of the recession.

On the campaign trail, Christie decried the state's high unemployment and home foreclosure rates.

The state labor department reported last week that New Jersey's unemployment rate hit a 33-year high, going to 10.1 percent in December.

Over at the Department of Community Affairs, Grifa will try to deal with a growing home foreclosure crisis in New Jersey. Last week, the state reported that foreclosures in 2009 were up 29 percent over 2008. There were about 63,000 residential properties in foreclosure, according to figures compiled by the Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court. In 2006, there were about 25,000.

Christie has previously selected Andrew Eristoff to treasurer, and Paula Dow to be attorney general, as well as Camden Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon, who worked with Christie in the U.S. Attorney's Office, to head the Board of Public Utilities.