Top official from bistate agency to become Executive Director of NYU’s Center on the Administration of Criminal Law
New York, 2015-1-9 — /Travel PR News/ — Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Deborah Gramiccioni today announced that she has accepted a position as Executive Director of New York University Law School’s Center on the Administration of Criminal Law and will leave the bistate agency effective February 1.
In her new position, Ms. Gramiccioni will oversee a center that analyzes important issues of criminal law, particularly focusing on prosecutorial power and discretion. She will begin her new position on February 2.
“I am grateful to Governor Christie for giving me the opportunity to be part of bringing much needed change to the Port Authority. What made my time so fulfilling during the past 12 months was working with talented and dedicated individuals who deserve a more efficient management structure,” Mrs. Gramiccioni said. “Structural change is a good thing, even if it ultimately meant the restructuring of my position.”
“For the last 10 years, Deb has been a close friend and trusted advisor, a dedicated public servant to the people of New Jersey and this region, and plainly one of the best people I know. Though her departure will be a loss to the staff of the Port Authority and the people of this region that she serves, this opportunity comes at a natural moment when the fundamental reforms we are pursuing will change the leadership structure at the Authority,” said Governor Christie. “I wish her the best and thank Deb for her many years of service to the people of New Jersey as she takes her energy, enthusiasm and accomplished legal career into higher education.”
Port Authority Chairman John Degnan praised Ms. Gramiccioni’s tenure at the agency.
“Deb has been a primary proponent of transparency and reform since the day Governor Christie sent her to the Port Authority as Deputy Executive Director,” Chairman Degnan said. “She has been an invaluable support to me since I arrived at the agency last July and has inspired, guided and advised me on all the reforms relating to transparency and openness adopted since that time. Deb is also an extremely bright and energetic attorney. I will miss her counsel, good judgment and devotion to the Port Authority. I wish her well in her future work at NYU’s Center on the Administration of Criminal Law. They are lucky to have her there.”
Chairman Degnan announced that the position of Deputy Executive Director will not be filled as that position will be eliminated when the Special Panel’s recommendation to hire a CEO is implemented later this year. In the meantime, he has asked his Chief of Staff, Sean M. Fitzpatrick, to ensure that Ms. Gramiccioni’s absence will not hamper the expeditious implementation of the proposed governance reforms.
“Deb is a brilliant and dedicated public servant, and we are delighted she will be working on criminal justice reform with us,” said Rachel Barkow, the NYU’s Center’s faculty director. “Deb brings with her over a decade of experience in state and federal prosecution, including having served as the Director of Criminal Justice in the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the Assistant Chief of the Fraud Section in the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Chief of the Commercial Crimes Unit in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. Her wealth of experience in state and federal law enforcement will be a huge asset to the Center as we continue to work on improving the administration of criminal justice in the United States.”
Ms. Gramiccioni was appointed Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority in December 2013 by Governor Chris Christie.
Prior to joining the Port Authority, she served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Cabinet Liaison and Director of the Authorities Unit under Governor Christie. Before joining the Governor’s staff, she served as the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice for the Office of the Attorney General where she oversaw criminal investigations and prosecutions brought by the State of New Jersey.
Before she came to work in state government, Ms. Gramiccioni served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey where she served as Chief of the Commercial Crimes Unit, supervising the prosecution of white-collar crimes involving financial fraud, identity theft and intellectual property. She was later appointed Assistant Chief of the Fraud Section in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., where she supervised cases brought nationwide under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
CONTACT:
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
212-435-7777
Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov.