The board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted Thursday to appoint a new executive director, as well as to revive a deputy director role — ending a gubernatorial stand-off that had kept port leadership in limbo.
Kathryn Garcia, a top aide to NY Gov. Hochul, was approved to lead the port, while Jean Roehrenbeck, a longtime aide to NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill, was installed as deputy executive director.
As previously reported by the Daily News, Sherrill and Hochul found themselves in a standoff last month when the Garden State Gov refused to sign off on Garcia unless the deputy position was revived for Roehrenbeck.
The Port Authority’s deputy executive director role had been vacant since 2013’s Bridgegate scandal in 2013, when then-Deputy Director Bill Baroni became embroiled in the Chris Christie-era plot to inflict a traffic nightmare on the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, NJ.
The position became seen by some as a fiefdom within the Port, ripe for potential corruption.
A source with knowledge of the situation told The News that Sherrill and Hochul spoke Monday to broker a compromise, in which the deputy role was revived for Roehrenbeck, who will answer directly to Garcia and have no dedicated staff of her own.
““Over the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to work closely with Kathryn, and her command of complex operations, her collaborative leadership style, and her unwavering commitment to accountability have been evident at every step,” longtime Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said in a statement Thursday.
“Jean Roehrenbeck will bring valuable experience in transportation policy and intergovernmental affairs and the agency’s mission,” he continued. “Together, working with the Board of Commissioners and our dedicated workforce, this leadership team will continue building a more effective, transparent, and forward-looking Port Authority for the region and the millions of people and businesses who rely on us every day.”
Garcia assumes leadership of the bi-state agency at the start of it’s largest capital program to date, a $45 billion budget that includes the wholesale redesign of the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
