New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has not only retained Indian American transportation leader Kris Kolluri as New Jersey Transit President on the job, but also tasked him with an expanded role in overseeing the New Jersey Turnpike. So whether you ride the rails or drive the roads, Kolluri has a hand in that experience.
Sherrill tapped Kolluri to lead both the agencies even before her inauguration nominating him as Executive Director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA). Kolluri will take a $1 salary from the Turnpike Authority.
“This dual role will allow Kolluri to oversee day-to-day operations of both agencies to unify strategy, rethink how we move people, and ultimately improve commutes for the residents of New Jersey,” said Sherrill announcing Kolluri’s dual role. “We need a collaborative and creative approach when it comes to addressing challenges and opportunities affecting our state, which is especially true as we update New Jersey’s approach to transit.”
“He brings decades of experience with every major transit agency in the region, and his leadership will be key as we rethink the future of transportation in New Jersey to improve commutes, improve coordination, and make sure New Jerseyans spend more time with family and friends, and less time stuck on a train or on the turnpike,” she said. “Additionally, as we prepare to welcome tens of thousands of people when we host the FIFA World Cup, Kris will ensure safety and efficiency as we move people on our buses, trains, and highways,”
Kolluri said he was excited to lead both NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority alongside Sherrill, “who shares a desire to innovate and improve New Jersey’s transit systems.”
“New Jersey’s success relies on the Turnpike and NJ TRANSIT working together and by overseeing both agencies, particularly for a major security event like the World Cup, I’ll be able to ensure that we eliminate silos and are working in lockstep to provide better service to the people of New Jersey and those visiting our state,” he said.
“Sherrill has been laser-focused on improving New Jersey’s transit systems since her time in Congress, and I know that her administration will share that same focus, for the World Cup and beyond,” added Kolluri.
As NJ TRANSIT President and CEO, Kolluri is responsible for the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system, with more than 11,000 employees providing more than 944,000 weekday trips on over 250 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines, and the agency’s Access Link paratransit service.
From 2006 to 2008, he was also Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, where he led the effort to increase investment in mass transit and served as Board Chair of NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and South Jersey Transportation Authority Commissioner, overseeing 17,000 employees.
Prior to his appointment, he served 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.
Previously, Kolluri served as President & Chief Executive Officer of Camden Community Partnership, Inc., a community and economic development nonprofit located in Camden, New Jersey. He also previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors.
He 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 socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.
He was also Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, where he led the effort to increase investment in mass transit and served as Board Chair of NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and South Jersey Transportation Authority Commissioner, overseeing seventeen thousand employees.
READ: Frisco Councilman Indian American Burt Thakur denies H-1B visa allegations (January 27, 2025)
Prior to his work in the infrastructure and social equity space, Kolluri 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.
Kolluri 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 (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.