Dr. Lamont O. Repollet is an innovative leader in public and private pre-K to post-secondary education with more than 30 years of experience directing state and federal education policy and improving school systems and student experience. Dr. Repollet is a leading national voice in re-imaging education with demonstrated success in establishing innovative, groundbreaking programs to improve overall culture, climate, and education outcomes. 

Dr. Repollet brings local, state, and federal subject matter expertise and has significant governance, regulatory and compliance, strategic, and fiduciary experience through his roles and interactions with corporate, public, non-profit, and government boards. 

Currently, Dr. Repollet is the President of Kean University, a majority-minority public University with 16,000 students, campuses in New Jersey and Wenzhou, China, and an annual budget of $220,000,000. Dr. Repollet is the first Black President of Kean University, among 14% of Black Presidents serving at colleges and universities in the United States[1]. Under Dr. Repollet’s leadership, Kean University has become the state’s first Urban Research University and has been elevated from a regional to a national University. Dr. Repollet has a deep understanding of national trends in education and has been at the forefront of two major national trends in education, including the development of nationally recognized innovative programming at Kean University to advance equity and access for students with diverse, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds and building public/private partnerships that lead to groundbreaking programs to improve education systems and strengthen the American workforce. Kean University has introduced innovative programs for adults returning to college and new dual degree agreements with prestigious universities like Howard University to help students enter the healthcare field. Most recently, President Repollet has been lauded by various international leaders including President Xi Jinping of China for expanding exchange programs at Wenzhou Kean University in China and other universities across the globe.

Prior to serving as Kean University’s President, Dr. Repollet served as New Jersey’s first Black Commissioner of Education. Under his leadership, New Jersey schools were ranked #1 on state-level efforts to improve public education by Education Week[2]. In 2020, Dr. Repollet oversaw one of the most drastic overhauls of business operations in the history of NJ public education, developing the first policies and procedures for New Jersey schools to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, including the move to e-learning and developing the initial guidance for re-opening. As Commissioner, Dr. Repollet helped direct state and federal policy, and in reporting directly to NJ Governor Phil Murphy, Dr. Repollet was responsible for $12.3 billion in NJ budget appropriations[3] and 2,493 NJ schools[4]. Prior to serving as New Jersey’s first Black Commissioner of Education, Dr. Repollet served as a public school superintendent, principal, teacher, and coach, implementing programs that decreased drop-out rates from 20% to 3% and increased graduation rates from 49% to 78%. 

Dr. Repollet is a member of multiple state and national boards, including New Jersey Edge and New Jersey Campus Compact. He is a proud member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, and he is a sought-after public speaker and thought leader and has received dozens of public service awards for his dedication to equity, service, and leadership. 

[1] Melidona, Danielle, Benjamin G. Cecil, Alexander Cassell, and Hollie M. Chessman. 2023. The American College President: 2023 Edition. Washington, DC: American Council on Education. Retrieved from https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/American-College-President-IX-2023.pdf.

[2] Lloyd, S. C., & Harwin, A. (2020, December 14). In national ranking of school systems, a new state is on top. Quality Counts 2019: Grading the States. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/in-national-ranking-of-school-systems-a-new-state-is-on-top/2019/09.

[3] Office of Management and Budget, The Governor’s FY2021 Budget (2020). Retrieved from https://www.nj.gov/treasury/omb/publications/20citizenguide/citguide.pdf

[4] Department of Education, New Jersey Public Schools Fact Sheet (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.nj.gov/education/doedata/fact.shtml.