Rick Cotton, long-time executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will step down from his role leading the agency in January, the port announced Monday.
Cotton, 81, has lead the Port Authority since 2017, longer than any other director since Austin Tobin left the agency’s predecessor — the Port Authority of New York — in 1972 following a 30-year reign.
During his tenure, Cotton oversaw major renovations of Port Authority infrastructure. He led terminal renovations at La Guardia an Newark airports, and set into motion an overhaul of Kennedy Airport and a rebuild of the agency’s eponymous midtown bus terminal.
In a statement, Cotton — who worked in media law for two decades before moving to the public sector — called leading the Port Authority “the honor of my professional life.”
“Rick took on one of the toughest public-service jobs in America and delivered extraordinary results,” Gov. Hochul said Monday in a statement. “LaGuardia’s transformation alone would define a career, but Rick’s impact spans airports, transit systems, bridges, and tunnels, as well as the renewed culture of a more accountable Port Authority.”
An informal agreement between New York and New Jersey leaves the Empire State to appoint the Port Authority’s executive director, while the Garden State selects the Port Authority’s chairman.
Cotton’s tenure as PANYNJ’s director was characterized by his particularly strong working relationship with his New Jersey counterpart, chairman Kevin O’Toole, a former Republican state lawmaker who was appointed to by then-NJ Gov. Chris Christie in 2017.
In his statement Monday, Cotton singled out O’Toole for praise.
“I want to especially thank Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole for his enduring partnership and dedication to collaboration and progress,” he said. “We shared a simple conviction — this region deserves world-class infrastructure equal to its people and its promise.”
Outgoing N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, chose not to replace O’Toole during his eight years leading the Garden State. It is not clear if incoming Democrat Mikie Sherrill intends to keep O’Toole in his role.
A Port Authority spokesperson said Cotton’s successor would be announced “in due course,” and that the outgoing director would work closely with the next leader to “ensure a smooth transition.”
The Port Authority — which, in addition to the container port, runs the region’s major airports, the PATH subway system linking New York and New Jersey, the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, the George Washington, Bayonne, Goethals and Outerbridge Crossing bridges and midtown bus terminal — proposed a $45 billion 10-year capital plan earlier this month.
