Ms. Claire M. DeMatteis, Esquire
Degree: 1987, Bachelor of Arts
Job Title: Commissioner, Delaware Department of Correction
Claire DeMatteis (AS ’87) is the Chair of the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication Advisory Council. A Delaware attorney, she has more than 25 years of experience working for the state and federal government and in the private sector on corporate governance, health care law, data privacy and regulatory compliance.
DeMatteis was sworn in as the 9th Commissioner to lead the Department of Correction (DOC) on July 15, 2019, the first woman to hold the position in the Department’s history. Previously, DeMatteis served as Special Assistant working with DOC’s leadership team implementing a series of reforms to strengthen security, safety, officer training, recruitment and retention, prison-based programming and services and a comprehensive reentry plan.
As Senior Counsel to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden from 1994 to 2004, she was instrumental in implementing laws and policies that enhanced law enforcement, women’s rights and civil rights. From 2008 to 2016, DeMatteis served as a senior executive, general counsel and chief compliance officer for two multi-billion dollar corporations.
DeMatteis is an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware and serves as a University of Delaware trustee. She was born, raised and lives in Delaware. DeMatteis earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and communication from the University of Delaware College of Arts & Sciences, and her law degree from Widener University’s Delaware Law School.