GOVERNOR MURPHY ANNOUNCES KRIS KOLLURI AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NJ TRANSIT
December 11, 2024
TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today announced that Kris Kolluri will serve as the next President and CEO of NJ TRANSIT following the resignation of Kevin Corbett, who will continue to serve in the position until January 15th, 2025. The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors unanimously voted to confirm the Governor’s nomination during Wednesday’s Board meeting.
“Kris Kolluri has played a vital role in strengthening our region’s transit infrastructure, and I am confident in his ability to lead NJ TRANSIT as we work to deliver the reliable, efficient, and modernized mass transit system that New Jerseyans deserve,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “As CEO of the Gateway Development Commission, Kris was an exceptional leader and a relentless champion for the Hudson Tunnel Project, who helped secure the largest federal investment in a mass transit project in our nation’s history and oversaw the start of construction on both sides of the Hudson River – all in less than three years. I am grateful for his continued dedication to our state’s future, and look forward to working with him.”
"I am honored that Governor Murphy has recommended me to be the President and Chief Executive Officer to the NJ TRANSIT Board," said Kris Kolluri. "Through his leadership and targeted investments, Governor Murphy has made improving NJ TRANSIT a cornerstone of his administration. Over the next year, I look forward to working with the Governor and the Board to continue putting NJ TRANSIT on a pathway to carry out the improvements that customers expect and deserve."
“Kris’s vast knowledge of the transportation landscape in New Jersey coupled with his demonstrated leadership will be valuable assets in continuing to move this agency forward,” said DOT Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Fran O’Connor. “I want to thank Kevin Corbett for his dedication to NJ TRANSIT and commend him for the advancements made during his tenure. I wish him all the best as he begins his next chapter.”
Kris Kolluri is a pioneering and pragmatic leader who has overseen complex infrastructure and social equity focused organizations, delivering meaningful, tangible, and measurable results. Kris recently completed his tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the Gateway Development Commission, a bi-state entity overseeing the $16.1 billion Hudson Tunnel Project, the nation's largest and most urgent infrastructure project. In two years, he transformed the organization from a start-up to one that has received the largest investment the federal government has ever made in any mass transit project, closed on the largest Railroad & Rehabilitation Improvement Program loan package in United States history, and initiated construction of the first set of heavy rail tunnels under the Hudson River in over 114 years.
Previously, Kris served as President & Chief Executive Officer of Camden Community Partnership, Inc., a community and economic development nonprofit located in Camden, New Jersey. Kris oversaw an organization focused on designing and implementing outcome-focused and resident-driven programs. Under his leadership and in partnership with the local government, the organization implemented a first mile/last mile transportation solution for residents, an innovative job placement program, a once-in-a-generation street improvement program, the development and rehabilitation of six waterfront and neighborhood parks, and a large-scale COVID vaccine site.
Kris previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Rowan University/Rutgers - Camden Board of Governors. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of the first of its kind multi-institutional research and teaching facility and implemented the Medical Assistants Training Program and the Alzheimer’s Patient Navigator Program, which were a pathway to serve a community health need and create jobs for residents. Kris was the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, where he oversaw the state's $5.3 billion school construction program, focused primarily on socio-economically disadvantaged communities. He was also Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, where he led the effort to increase investment in mass transit. He also served as Chairman of NJ TRANSIT, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority, overseeing 17,000 employees.
Prior to his work in the infrastructure and social equity space, Kris worked as a staff member in the United States Congress for over a decade, eventually becoming a senior policy advisor to House Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt. In that capacity, he assisted freshman members of Congress in developing long-term policy initiatives.
Kris has a Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University. He was an adjunct faculty member at Rutgers University Law School during the 2011 & 2012 academic years. He also served on the Rowan University Board of Trustees, the Southern New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Board, and the New Jersey Board of the Regional Plan Association.