Hanifa L. Barnes, Esq. is Chief of Staff and Operations at New Jersey’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) – the largest state agency of student higher education funding in the country. She is responsible for five units: Legal & Government Affairs, Human Resources, Information Systems, Communications and Facilities. Before joining HESAA, she had several opportunities in the legal field, non-profit organizations, policy shops, and political campaign financing, building her skills in operations, communications, and strategy. Prior to that, Hanifa served as an educator to elementary, middle, and high school students in Newark, NJ and Decatur, GA. During her years as a Dean of Students, she initiated several student programs that facilitated career awareness, college planning, and character development. Creativity, compassion and leadership are Hanifa’s greatest strengths. She thrives on all kinds of challenges, especially those that expand her ability to impact the lives of young people. Her most recent project at HESAA – in collaboration with NJ Governor’s administration and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education – involved the implementation of the Community College Opportunity Grant or free community college which will result in an additional 13,000 – 17,000 NJ students pursuing their college education in the Spring 2019 school semester.
Hanifa is an avid creative practitioner and a former professional actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild. Though it has been more than ten years since she has appeared on the theatrical stage or television camera, she embraces opportunities that would empower and inspire young people to pursue their most authentic and creative selves.
Hanifa holds a Bachelor’s in Communication and Theatre from Georgia State University, a JD from Rutgers Law School and will complete her MBA from Cornell in 2019. She lives in Hopewell Township, NJ with her husband, their four children, one dog, and one cat. In her free time, Hanifa enjoys writing historical fiction, that has yet to be published, and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and other professional and volunteer groups.
