Gavin Rozzi: Digital Transformation & Civic Technology Executive

Gavin Rozzi is the inaugural Director of the DHCR Data Center at New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs, where he leads digital transformation initiatives that bridge the gap between policy objectives and technical execution. In this role, Gavin has built an in-house civic technology team from the ground up—bringing modern development practices and frameworks to state government while maintaining compliance with security and accessibility standards.

Gavin Rozzi's work focuses on three core pillars: data science and analytics that drive evidence-based decision-making, digital transformation that modernizes legacy systems and processes, and full-stack web development that creates intuitive, resident-first digital experiences. This approach is underpinned by a deep understanding of policy development and implementation, enabling him to operationalize complex policies effectively while modernizing public sector operations through strategic technology integration that makes government services more responsive and citizen-focused.

Gavin Rozzi's work at the intersection of data science, public policy, and urban studies began in academia, where he served as the founding Data Scientist at the Rutgers Urban and Civic Informatics Lab—a flagship research center of the executive dean. In this pioneering role, he established the lab's technical infrastructure and analytical capabilities, bridging computational methods with urban policy research. He also served as a Research Affiliate at the New Jersey State Policy Lab, where he led a critical research project examining the opioid crisis through advanced spatial data analysis, applying geographic information systems and statistical modeling to inform state-level policy interventions.

Before joining government, Gavin Rozzi founded OPRAmachine, New Jersey's first statewide freedom of information platform, which has processed over 75,000 public records requests and released 250GB of government data. He has also published open-source tools used by researchers nationwide, including zipcodeR, an R package available on CRAN with 49 peer-reviewed citations in journals including Nature and Cancer Discovery. This combination of research leadership, civic technology innovation, and practical government experience positions Gavin Rozzi uniquely to tackle complex policy challenges through rigorous analytical methods and modern technical solutions.

Gavin Rozzi holds an M.S. in Data Science & Strategic Analytics and a B.A. in Political Science from Stockton University, where he graduated with a 4.0 and 3.9 GPA respectively. He is currently a candidate for the Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program, which he began in October 2025 and is on track to complete in September 2026. His capstone project focuses on customer service modernization for housing programs. Gavin Rozzi's work has been recognized with the Governor's Team of Excellence Award and first place in the NJ DEP GIS Mapping Contest.

Leadership Philosophy: Effective government technology leadership requires more than technical expertise—it demands the ability to build coalitions across organizational boundaries, translate policy intent into operational systems, and maintain trust with stakeholders at every level. Gavin Rozzi's approach emphasizes incremental value demonstration, stakeholder engagement, and building institutional capacity that outlasts any individual initiative. He believes in working with institutional realities rather than against them, finding ways to modernize public services while respecting the constraints and rhythms that shape government operations.

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