As Deputy Commissioner, Seebode will serve as second in command for the DEP and will be responsible for continuing the agency’s successes in developing and implementing policies that protect air and water quality, advance climate resilience, preserve natural resources, provide quality open space for the public, and ensure environmental justice, among many other roles. “Joe’s on-the-ground experience advancing projects with the Army Corps will be a major asset in accomplishing the Sherill Administration’s mission to deliver for the people of New Jersey by reducing permitting times while protecting health, safety and environment,” Acting Commissioner Potosnak said. “In particular, his wealth of knowledge in building and growing partnerships will be critical to ensuring the protection of our air, land, water and natural resources.”Seebode, an environmental engineer with more than 40 years of experience, including a stint as a DEP Assistant Commissioner in the early 2000s, returns to the DEP after an exciting and fulfilling public service career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he most recently served as the Deputy District Engineer and Chief of Programs and Project Management for the New York District.“I am excited to return to DEP and work with its deeply talented team of scientists, engineers and professionals to continue raising the bar on environmental protection, stewardship and permitting turnaround times,” Deputy Commissioner Seebode said. “From coastal resilience to brownfields redevelopment, the projects and policies we undertake today will protect and strengthen our environment for future generations.”

In his most recent role at the Army Corps, Seebode oversaw an interdisciplinary team of engineers and scientists delivering major military and civil works construction and regional infrastructure improvements in New York, New Jersey and Greenland. While at the Army Corps, Seebode’s leadership helped guide post-Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts such as the removal of water from flooded tunnels, emergency dredging, coastline repair work and debris removal. He also oversaw other major initiatives for the New York District, including a $2.1 billion deepening project for the Port of New York and New Jersey and a comprehensive environmental restoration strategy for the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary. Seebode’s post-Sandy efforts and the port-deepening project earned him the prestigious Richard J. Sullivan Award in December 2025 for his dedication to advancing coastal resilience, environmental restoration and sustainable water management. The award is part of the DEP’s annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards program. From 2003 to 2006, Seebode served as a DEP Assistant Commissioner on an intergovernmental detail, overseeing a team engaged in a wide array of environmental engineering and remediation activities. Seebode earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Manhattan College after graduating from Seton Hall Prep and is a proud member of the Seton Hall Prep Athletic Hall of Fame.