L. Michael Krieger

I started my 32-year career as a Management Trainee at The Port Authority (“PA”) in 1965 at the height of integrity in its leadership, governance for the public good. Notably, the agency’s leadership prided itself on its staff adhering and focus on to the highest levels of professional standards, competence, and personal integrity. The Executive Director and The PA Board Members resisted strenuously and successfully for decades undue day-to-day political influence in the agency’s operations.

The PA’s culture encouraged staff to continue both higher education and professional development. PA top leadership understood that the PA’s strength was its well-trained, non-political staff, operating with integrity and fact-based professionalism. Top leadership’s insulation of staff from day-to-day political concerns I believe facilitated the PA being so successful in serving the public, allowing the PA to earn its coveted reputation as a uniquely effective public institution.

Early in my career, I had the good fortune to work on studies leading to fostering the “Containerization Revolution” in the transportation industry. This was a “disruptor,” in today’s jargon, of the then predominant “break-bulk” method of shipping. Similarly, I worked as Assistant Director of the “Airport Opportunity Study,” 1969-1970, focusing on the need to provide upward mobility, and business opportunities, in the Aviation industry for minorities and women, highlighting that just providing entry level jobs was not sufficient. To this day, the Council for Airport Opportunity (“CAO”), established in 1972 as a result of our study, continues to foster these goals in the Aviation industry, for which I am proud to have been a part. Here again, the PA was at the forefront of “disrupting” “accepted” management practices—decades “ahead of its time.”

I served largely in the Planning and Development and Aviation Departments until 1977, when I and 100 other PA colleagues participated in the work of “The Committee on the Future” initiated by Peter Goldmark, Jr. That major effort resulted in recommendations for the NY/NJ Region and the PA to focus on “Waterfront Development;” “Resource Recovery— ‘Gold from Garbage’ in the form of energy production;” and “Infrastructure Development” among other recommendations.

“Waterfront Development” became my passion for the remainder of my career, thereafter and to this day. An Act of Congress and Bi-State legislation were achieved to permit the PA to help municipalities effectuate redevelopment of selected deteriorated waterfronts—"Queens West” and “Hoboken’s South Waterfront” continue to provide many regional benefits. (I once counted that 1,000 or more PA employees at one time or another contributed to this work—for which I am grateful.)

In 1996, after leading The P A’s waterfront development efforts and providing overall direction to five other economic developments operated by the PA, I retired as General Manager, Regional and Economic Development, Port Department.

Membership in PARA and my serving as its Vice President for a number of years facilitates my maintaining valued connections to the PA and former colleagues.