Port Authority Executive to Retire

Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey since August 2017, will retire in January 2026, the agency announced today. His 8½-year tenure marks the longest for any executive director since the 1940s.

According to the Port Authority, Cotton and Chairman Kevin O’Toole “delivered an unprecedented wave of renewal and institutional reform,” guiding the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic and “one of the most difficult operating environments in its history.” The agency cited their leadership in the delivery of a $50 billion airport modernization program, the start of construction on the new Midtown Bus Terminal, and major improvements at the World Trade Center, the Port of New York and New Jersey, and the PATH system.

“From the moment Chairman O’Toole and I stepped into these roles in 2017, we shared a simple conviction: this region deserves world-class infrastructure equal to its people and its promise,” Cotton said. “The foundation is now set for future generations to keep building a stronger, more connected region.”

Under Cotton, the agency rebuilt LaGuardia Airport, opened Newark Liberty’s award-winning Terminal A, and launched a $19 billion redevelopment of JFK. Other achievements include the adoption of a net-zero emissions roadmap, record MWBE participation, and a proposed $45 billion capital plan for 2026–2035.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called Cotton’s contributions “extraordinary,” citing the transformation of LaGuardia and JFK. “His leadership rebuilt public confidence in our capacity to deliver world-class infrastructure,” Hochul said.

Port Authority Chairman O’Toole praised Cotton as “the driving force behind the Port Authority’s resurgence,” while Vice Chair Jeffrey Lynford described him as “one of the finest leaders this agency has ever had.”