PANYNJ Leadership Shake-up
Governors Christie and Cuomo issued a joint statement yesterday announcing leadership changes at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ), specifically the appointment of former New Jersey State Senator Kevin O’Toole as Chairman, and Cuomo Administration official Rick Cotton as Executive Director.
O’Toole, who joined the PANYNJ Board after stepping down from the Legislature at the end of June, replaces current Chairman John Degnan. Degnan was appointed Chairman in the wake of the Bridgegate scandal and charged with implementing various reforms. Cotton replaces Pat Foye who is reportedly moving over to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). MTA is responsible for New York City’s subways, buses, regional rails, bridges and tunnels.
O’Toole and Cotton will have quite a bit to say about the future governance of the Port Authority, additional reforms and transparency, and the fate of significant infrastructure investments like the Gateway Program.
Congratulations to our friend Senator O’Toole. We expect him to bring the wisdom and efficacy from two decades in the Legislature to the Chairman’s post and be a strong voice for the region. We look forward to building a relationship with Rick Cotton, who we know by reputation as an extremely bright legal mind and someone who can be expected to adeptly field marshal Cuomo’s agenda and effectively manage the Port Authority.
Candidates Select LG Running Mates
Democratic nominee Phil Murphy and Republican nominee Kim Guadagno have each selected candidates to run on their respective tickets as Lieutenant Governor. Both candidates are minorities and elected officials who can claim history-making firsts on their public service resumes.
Murphy Selects Former Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver
Assemblywoman Oliver has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2003 and in 2010 became the first and only African American woman to serve as Assembly Speaker, a position she held until 2014. She has a distinguished career in public service with positions at the local, county and state levels. She brings substantial government experience to the Murphy ticket and enjoys gilded status among New Jersey’s African American community.
Check out more from the Murphy campaign, HERE.
Guadagno Selects Woodcliff Lakes Mayor Carlos Rendo
Mayor Rendo is an attorney by profession. He was born in Cuba in 1964 and fled the communist nation with his family as a young boy. He was elected to the Council of the Bergen County borough in 2013 and in 2016 became first Latino elected Mayor in Woodcliff Lake’s history. In her announcement of Rendo, Guadagno stated that his life story “embodies the American Dream.”
Check out more from the Guadagno campaign, HERE.