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Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port of New York and New Jersey, will retire in January 2026, according to a Nov. 24 press release.
Cotton’s successor at the agency, which oversees the Port of New York and New Jersey and other major transportation assets in the two states, has not yet been announced.
During his eight-and-a-half-year tenure — making him the agency’s longest-serving executive director since the 1940s — Cotton has navigated several difficult operating environments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, labor strikes and fluctuating cargo volumes.
Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
“Since 2017, I have devoted all my energy to this very important work. It has been rewarding and exhausting. But nothing lasts forever,” Cotton said in a statement. “With the tremendous progress we’ve made and the completion last week of our new 10-year capital plan — which will fund the agency’s ambitious program through 2035 — it’s time to hand over control, and I’ll do so in January.”
During his tenure at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Cotton led development and other accomplishments, according to a press release. For example, the Cotton-led agency increased port capacity through port deepening and improved multimodal rail lines, and contained the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
Cotton’s tenure also included launching a complete renovation According to the press release, John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia Airport and delivered the new Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport under a $50 billion transformation program.
“As someone who has carefully studied the history of the Port Authority and served on the board for nearly 15 years, I can say without a doubt that Rick Cotton is one of the best leaders the agency has ever had,” said Port Authority Deputy Chief Jeffrey Linford.
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