Kathryn Garcia the right pick to lead Port Authority

As one of the region’s critical transportation agencies, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey requires seasoned, capable leaders who can keep it on a steady path while steering it away from the political fights of its past.

In Kathryn Garcia, whom Gov. Kathy Hochul selected as the authority’s next executive director, the Port has gained such a leader.

Now, Garcia will have to keep the Port moving forward, continue infrastructure efforts already underway, build upon the successes of the Port’s airports and seaports, and look for new ways to upgrade the bus terminals, bridges and tunnels that fall under the authority’s auspices.

Garcia, who previously served as Hochul’s director of state operations, is known primarily as a manager and executive. She previously led New York City’s Department of Sanitation and for Hochul focused on infrastructure projects like the Gateway tunnel project and the Interborough Express.

Garcia follows in the footsteps of Rick Cotton, who similarly had served former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo as a special counselor focused on infrastructure issues before taking the Port’s helm in 2017. Cotton led the agency through a period of recovery following the 2013 Bridgegate scandal. The authority’s deputy executive director, Bill Baroni, appointed by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, was convicted of conspiracy and wire fraud after he and others purposefully created a traffic jam on the roads leading to the George Washington Bridge, although the Supreme Court later reversed that conviction.

After Bridgegate, Cotton led the authority without a deputy executive director, as officials hoped to eliminate some of the politics, friction and toxicity between the two states. But newly elected New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill wanted to fill the spot.

The key difference: Sherrill’s pick, Jean Roehrenbeck, will report to Garcia, rather than directly to Sherrill. That should help to remove any messy infighting and interstate battles. Garcia will be best served by establishing good relationships with her New Jersey colleagues, staff and board members. Cotton’s partnership with Port Chairman Kevin O’Toole should serve as a model. Broadly, Garcia must establish an agency culture that places progress over politics, while stressing oversight and accountability.

Garcia must pick up where Cotton left off on several major projects, including the remake of Kennedy Airport and the planned new bus terminal in Manhattan. At Kennedy, the Port has partnered with private entities spending billions of dollars to build a modern airport. The centerpiece is a new $9.5 billion Terminal One, which will replace three old terminals. Upgraded roads and parking lots are expected too, but until the massive project is completed, travelers likely will continue to experience some headaches.

Seeing such work to timely completion will be Garcia’s first major task. Even as she navigates those complexities, she’ll have to communicate clearly to the public and provide innovative solutions to deal with temporary disruptions.

A vibrant and productive Port Authority serves to propel the region’s economic and transportation success in the future. There is much for Garcia to do.