Longtime DRPA Chief John Matheussen Packing Up For NJ Judicial Post
By David Madden
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- The top man at the Delaware River Port Authority is saying his goodbyes after a decade in the CEO's office. John Matheussen leaves the DRPA at the close of business on Friday, moving on to become a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court.
Matheussen was one of seven judicial nominees quietly approved Monday night by the New Jersey state senate.
His tenure at the DRPA has been rocky at times. He worked the last three-plus years without a contract.
But Matheussen believes his legacy will show in the way he approached the job.
"I don't represent New Jersey, I don't represent Pennsylvania," he said today, "but I represent the Delaware River Port Authority and Patco (the transit agency run by the DRPA). And being in the middle of the river is an important thing to remember as you do that."
DRPA chief financial officer John Hanson will step in as interim CEO while commissioners conduct a national search for a replacement for Matheussen. Board members consider Hanson the inside favorite, and Hanson says he wants the job.
"I certainly would like to be considered, but I think that they would be remiss if they didn't make sure that they thought that my vision and the way that I thought the job needed to be done was in alignment with theirs," Hanson said today.
The search process is expected to take at least a month.
