As Special Deputy Commissioner for Human Services, he was responsible for overseeing the Department’s legal, legislative, and regulatory matters, including the Child Welfare Reform Plan.

Torres served in the Governor’s Office as Deputy Chief of Management and Operations under Governor James E. McGreevey. Prior to this, he served as Special Deputy Commissioner in the Department of Banking and Insurance. During his tenure at Banking and Insurance, negotiator of the legislative agreements which ultimately became New Jersey’s Auto Reform Act of 2003.

From 1999 to 2002, worked at Prudential Insurance Company of American in Newark as Vice President and Corporate Counsel. While at Prudential, he handled discrimination matters for the company, and implemented the company’s “Roads to Resolution” program, an employee dispute resolution program.

In 1995, Torres served as Director of the Division on Civil Rights for the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, where he was credited with implementing management reforms to reduce the agency’s significant case backlog. He also was an assistant director of enforcement at the Department of Law and Public Safety, where he supervised state-wide investigations in employment, housing and public accommodations discrimination.

During his career, Torres has worked as the Special Assistant to the Commissioner for New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate. He served as Assistant Deputy Public Defender with the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, where he was a criminal defense attorney for the Hudson region. Torres also served as a law assistant for the Criminal Court of the State of New York. He received his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey in 1982. He is also a graduate of Herbert H. Lehman College in Bronx, New York.

Oversees Department of State’s operating agencies consisting of: Administration; Archives and Records Management;  Center for Youth Policy and Programs; NJ Historical Commission; NJ Historic Trust; NJ State Council on the Arts; NJ State Museum; New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission; NJ Commission on American Indian Affairs; Governor’s Office of Volunteerism; Old Barracks Museum; and War Memorial> Nationally recognized political strategist and expert on minority voter turnout and  former Director of Base Vote Operations for  Democratic National Committee, political consultant on Senate candidate JON CORZINE'S 2000 campaign, also McGreevey for Governor, 1997, and Torricelli for Senate in 1996> Pioneered voter turnout model in NJ during 1996 and 1997 statewide campaigns> Prior to accepting Cabinet post, partner in IEM Message Management, Inc., voter contact firm specializing in grassroots organization and voter education> Also served in state and municipal government, six years as Deputy and as Director of Constituent Services in government of District of Columbia, also 1980-1985 one of first African-American Legislative Analysts on Legislative Research Commission for Kentucky State Legislature, mediating community concerns and managing state legislative priorities> For 12 years, worked for National Rainbow Coalition and its founder, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, during Jackson’s bids for presidency in 1984 and 1988> Native of Clinton, KY, B.A. from Morehead State University.