Claire Dematteis

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT CLAIRE DEMATTEIS

Claire is a Delaware attorney with more than 30 years of experience in corporate law, data and privacy protection, healthcare law, regulatory affairs, and congressional and government affairs. She served 8 years in Delaware Governor Carney’s Administration as a member of his Cabinet. On January 6, 2025, the Governor awarded Claire the Order of the First State, which is the state’s highest honor. Claire was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame in October 2025. As the State’s Chief People Officer, she oversaw employment, recruitment, labor relations, compensation, classification, benefits, merit procedures and policies for more than state employees.In 2021, Governor Carney tapped DeMatteis’ strategic and compliance expertise and deep knowledge of federal and state governments to lead the coordination of millions of dollars in federal stimulus and COVID relief funds the state received for pandemic response and economic stabilization. Previously, DeMatteis was nominated by Governor Carney and confirmed by the Delaware Senate in June 2019, to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Correction (DOC), the state’s largest law enforcement agency. She was the first woman to lead Delaware’s correctional system, with the dual mission of public safety and offender rehabilitation. In 2017, she was appointed as the Governor’s special assistant to the Department of Correction following a riot and murder of a correctional officer in the state’s maximum-security prison, and within one year worked with the DOC team to implement more than 40 reforms. Prior to returning to state government service, Claire served as Senior Counsel to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden from 1994 to 2004, where she was instrumental implementing laws and policies that enhanced law enforcement, women\'s rights and civil rights. From 2004 to 2016, DeMatteis served in the private sector as a partner in a law firm and as senior executive, general counsel and chief compliance officer for two multi-billion dollar corporations. Claire has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Delaware and serves as a University of Delaware Trustee. She was born, raised and lives in Delaware. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and her law degree from Delaware Law School.