AASHTO Journal, 09 October 2015
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Oct. 2 that Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox will transition back to the private sector by the end of this month, when NJDOT Deputy Commissioner Joseph Bertoni will take over as acting commissioner.
FoxBertoni served as the NJDOT’s chief of staff before becoming deputy commissioner.
He began his career with the agency in 1988 in the Division of Bridge Design; he has also been a project manager in the department’s capital program management unit, where he managed the design and construction of major bridge and highway projects.
Christie had nominated Fox to the position in September 2014, and the Senate confirmed him later that month.
A former NJDOT commissioner from 2002, Fox had held senior positions under five governors and from both parties.
In a message to NJDOT employees, Fox said that when he took the agency’s CEO job last year “I had hoped that we could secure a credible long-term solution for the Transportation Trust Fund within a year. I deeply regret we were unable to do so, and with a year behind me, it is time for me to return to the private sector and pursue new opportunities.”
He also praised the workforce. “Over the years, the department has seen its headcount shrink by thousands, yet its employees accomplish more and more for our state with less and less,” Fox said.