Kris Kolluri

{{Short description|American politician (born c. 1969)}}

{{Tone|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kris Kolluri

| office = CEO of the Gateway Commission

| governor = Kathy Hochul
Phil Murphy

| term_start = June 2022

| term_end = July 2024

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1969}}

| birth_place = Hyderabad, India

| party = Democratic

| education = Rutgers University, Camden (BS)
Johns Hopkins University (MS)
Georgetown University (JD)

}}

Kris Kolluri (born c. 1969) was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gateway Development Commission, an agency formed under the auspices of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to construct a new railroad tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, serving between June 2022 and July 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-18/long-awaited-nyc-gateway-tunnel-project-split-into-four-pacts|title=Long-Awaited NYC Gateway Tunnel Project Split Into Four Parts to Speed Work|author=Skylar Woodhouse|publisher=Bloomberg News|date=April 18, 2023|access-date=May 26, 2023}} Kolluri formerly served as head of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, having taken office as of December 1, 2008, where he succeeded Scott Weiner.Staff. [http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1229405817219140.xml&coll=1 "Major staff changes in governor's office"], The Star-Ledger, December 16, 2008. Accessed December 16, 2008.[http://www.njsda.gov/Archive/2008/11/11.06.08/nr_11.06.08.html "Kris Kolluri Appointed as CEO of SDA: DOT Commissioner to join Authority on December 1, 2008"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716080548/http://www.njsda.gov/Archive/2008/11/11.06.08/nr_11.06.08.html |date=July 16, 2011 }}, New Jersey Schools Development Authority press release dated November 6, 2008. Accessed February 22, 2011. He had previously served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), having been sworn into office on March 13, 2006. He spent one day, December 28, 2006 as acting Governor. In December 2024, Kolluri was appointed interim president and CEO of NJ Transit, the largest mass transit agency in New Jersey, to serve through the remainder of Governor Phil Murphy's term in office ending in January 2026.{{cite web|url=https://njbmagazine.com/njb-news-now/kolluri-to-head-nj-transit-through-2025/|title=Kolluri to Head NJ TRANSIT Through 2025|publisher=New Jersey Business magazine|date=December 10, 2024|access-date=December 11, 2024}}

Prior to that, Kolluri specialized in redevelopment and transportation law as an attorney at Parker McCay of Marlton.{{Cite web |title=Governor Hochul and Governor Murphy Nominate Kris Kolluri as CEO of The Gateway Development Commission {{!}} Governor Kathy Hochul |url=https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-and-governor-murphy-nominate-kris-kolluri-ceo-gateway-development-commission |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=www.governor.ny.gov |language=en}}

Kolluri was chief of staff to New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere. In this capacity, he served as counselor to the Commissioner and managed the development and implementation of the department's legislative and regulatory policies and communications strategies.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Prior to working in state government, Kolluri held a variety of top positions in Congressional offices. Most recently he served as senior policy advisor to House Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt, heading the Member Support Program which was established to help freshman Members of Congress design and implement long-term strategic initiatives. In early 1998, Kolluri was tapped to be special advisor to Congressman Gephardt on India and Indian-American affairs.{{Cite web |title=Kris Kolluri |url=https://www.americanbanker.com/author/kris-kolluri-bb596 |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=American Banker |language=en}}

Before he worked for Congressman Gephardt, Kolluri served as Congressman Robert E. Andrews' Legislative Director and his principal staffer on the International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

Kolluri received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Marketing from Rutgers University, a Master's degree in International Business from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. degree from Georgetown University. He lives in West Windsor Township with his wife and two daughters.

On December 28, 2006, Kolluri served as acting governor, while New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, the Senate president, Assembly speaker, and attorney general were all out of state. Under state law at the time, an acting governor had to be appointed whenever the governor is absent from the state.[http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=4887263 "N.J. Gets New Governor... For a Day"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312094339/http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=4887263 |date=2007-03-12 }}, WPVI-TV, December 28, 2006. Accessed June 25, 2007. "Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri will take over the post because Governor Corzine will be out of town. So will the Senate president, Assembly speaker and attorney general, all of whom are ahead of Kolluri in the line of succession."

Since a 2006 constitutional amendment, New Jersey has had a lieutenant governor, second in the line of succession.{{cite web | url=https://ballotpedia.org/Lieutenant_Governor_of_New_Jersey | title=Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey }} The position was first filled by Kim Guadagno, elected with Chris Christie in November 2009.{{cite web | url=https://www.nj.com/news/2010/01/new_jersey_gets_its_first_lieu.html | title=Kim Guadagno to become New Jersey's first lieutenant governor | date=19 January 2010 }}