Derby Chukwudi was crowned Miss New Jersey USA 2023 on Sunday, 19th March 2023 at the Hilton Parsippany Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey. She succeeds Miss New Jersey USA 2022 Alexandra Lakhman and will now represent New Jersey at Miss USA 2023.

Derby Ozioma Chukwudi is a Nigerian-American investment strategist, author, model and beauty queen. She was born in Dallas, Texas and raised in Nigeria. The 25-year-old stunning queen is a graduate of Berea College in Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics.

In 2020, she completed a certificate program on the fundamentals of business from Harvard Business School. This was Derby’s second attempt at the state pageant; she previously joined in 2021 but unfortunately failed to make it to the semi-finals.

Alexandra Lakhman also took to her official social media to congratulate her successor and wrote, “My sweet, Derby! Congratulations on becoming Miss New Jersey USA 2023 last night. Get ready for this once in a lifetime opportunity! Embrace the experiences, use your voice, and stay true to yourself! I’m honored to be your predecessor and neighbor! Ladies and gentleman, Hoboken just got BACK TO BACK WINS! Welcome to the sisterhood!”

Also at the finale, UmaSofia Srivastava was crowned Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2023. The Indian Mexican teenager succeeds and was crowned by Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2022 Isabella Galan and she will now proceed to compete in Miss Teen USA 2023.