TRENTON, N.J. — Kris Kolluri, a former chairman of the NJ Transit board, will become the agency’s new CEO, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has announced. The current board unanimously confirmed the nomination at its meeting today (Dec. 11).
Kolluri will serve for the remainder of Murphy’s term, which ends in January 2026. His selection had previously been reported by the New Jersey Globe news site on the day current CEO Kevin Corbett announced his resignation [see “NJ Transit CEO Corbett resigns,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 9, 2024].
“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,” Murphy said in a press release. “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.”
In addition to serving as CEO of the Gateway commission — a position from which he resigned in July — Kolleri’s background includes serving as CEO of economic development nonprofit Camden Community Partnership, Inc., CEO of the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden board of governors, CEO of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, and commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
“I am honored that Governor Murphy has recommended me to be the president and chief executive officer to the NJ Transit board,” Kolluri said. “… 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.”
Corbett, whose resignation is effective Jan. 15, 2025, will serve as consultant for 30 days after his resignation to aid in the transition process, NorthJersey.com reports.
