Infrastructure Leader
Port Authority of NY-NJ Says Kathryn Garcia Is Next Executive Director
State operations chief nominated to succeed Rick Cotton as bi-state agency prepares for $45B capital improvements program
Port Authority capital work continues as the agency prepares for a leadership transition following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s nomination of Kathryn Garcia to succeed outgoing Executive Director Rick Cotton.
Updated 7:13 PM ET
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Dec. 10 nominated Kathryn Garcia, the state’s director of operations, to serve as the next executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, citing her management background and experience overseeing major infrastructure programs.
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The announcement follows the retirement announcement next month of Rick Cotton, who has led the bi-state infrastructure development agency since 2017. During his tenure, Cotton oversaw significant infrastructure improvements within the Port Authority's responsibilities.
Upgrades included the transformation of LaGuardia and improvements at John F. Kennedy International Airport, both in Queens, N.Y., and at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., along with other key transportation upgrades.
Kathryn Garcia (Image/Facebook)
In a statement, Hochul said Garcia has been central to the administration’s delivery of large capital efforts across transportation and public facilities.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has not yet issued a corresponding statement, and the Port Authority board—which must formally approve the appointment—has not released a transition schedule.
Garcia previously served as New York City sanitation commissioner and has been in her current role since 2022, in charge of multiple statewide infrastructure and emergency-management initiatives.
Cotton said in a separate agency notice that he would assist in ensuring an orderly handoff of the agency’s multibillion-dollar capital program. The latest ten-year Capital plan set to start in 2026, and will continue and expand the work done under Cotton's tenure, including ongoing transformative airport redevelopment, PATH modernization and major interstate bridge and tunnel work.
Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).
Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues, including finance, law and real estate. He has reported for Adweek and the San Diego Daily Transcript and led a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif. He served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and as managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. At Engineering News-Record, Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure and megaprojects, regulatory developments and business trends across the U.S. and global construction sectors.
email: gottliebb@enr.com | office: (248) 786-1591
