John J. Degnan
John J. Degnan | |
---|---|
Chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | |
In office July 23, 2014[1] – August 3, 2017[2] | |
Governor | Chris Christie |
Preceded by | David Samson |
Succeeded by | Kevin J. O'Toole |
Attorney General of New Jersey | |
In office January 17, 1978 – March 5, 1981 | |
Governor | Brendan Byrne |
Preceded by | William F. Hyland |
Succeeded by | James R. Zazzali |
Personal details | |
Born | West Orange, New Jersey, U.S. | October 6, 1944
Spouse | Mary Degnan |
Alma mater | Saint Vincent College (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
John J. Degnan (born October 6, 1944) was the
Background
Degnan attended Our Lady of Lourdes Grammar School in West Orange. He graduated with a B.A. from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1966 and then attended Harvard Law School, receiving his J.D. degree in 1969.[3] He resides with his wife Mary in Chester Township, New Jersey.
Career
From 1969 to 1971, Degnan served as law secretary to John J. Francis, associate justice of the
Degnan was selected by
In 1981, Degnan resigned his position as Attorney General to run in the Democratic primary for Governor. The crowded field of 13 Democratic candidates included U.S. Representative James Florio, Newark Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson, New Jersey Senate President Joseph P. Merlino, U.S. Representative Robert A. Roe, and Jersey City Mayor Thomas F. X. Smith. Degnan was seen as Byrne's hand-picked successor and received the Governor's endorsement. But in the primary election Degnan received only 11 percent of the vote, finishing in fifth place behind Florio (26 percent), Roe (16 percent), Gibson (16 percent), and Merlino (11 percent).[4]
After the election Degnan joined the firm of Shanley & Fisher as a senior partner. In 1990, he joined Chubb & Son, a subsidiary of
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Governor
At Senate hearings in July 2014, Degnan, in regard to the Fort Lee George Washington Bridge lane closures of September 2013 said "If the lanes were closed as an act of political retribution against the mayor of Fort Lee or any other individual and not part of a legitimate traffic study, and that seems to be validated by some of the evidence, it's an outrageous misuse of office." During his tenure as chairman he opposed dissolving the PANYNJ in its entirety, believing any changes made to the mission of agency should involve state legislatures and governors in both states.
He supported 2011 toll hikes based on PANYNJ capital improvement plan but acknowledged the process to enact them as "terrible" and commissioners' non-attendance at public hearings "an insult to the public." He stated intentions to improve the agency response to
In 2017, Kevin J. O'Toole replaced Degnan as Chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.[9][10]
References
- ^ "Board of Commisioners - Governance - Corporate Information - Port Authority of New York & New Jersey". www.panynj.gov. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Big leadership shake-up rocks Port Authority". August 2017.
- ^ Attorney General of New Jersey; accessed June 26, 2008.
- ^ "Florio and Kean Agree Taxes Are Key Issue". The New York Times, June 4, 1981. Accessed June 26, 2008.
- Chubb Corp. Accessed June 26, 2008. Archived May 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Friedman, Matt (April 29, 2014). "Christie names a former attorney general as Port Authority chairman". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
- ^ Christie nominee for Port Authority chairman: Agency 'in need of reform', NorthJersey.com; accessed November 22, 2015.
- ^ Baxter, Christopher (July 10, 2014). "Christie's pick to lead the Port Authority defends his independence". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ "Port Authority board confirms O'Toole, Cotton for top posts".
- ^ "Christie, Cuomo Announce New Port Authority Leadership".