The Gateway Development Commission’s board has approved the appointment of John W. Bartlett, Esq., to serve as general counsel.
Bartlett will oversee legal matters related to the commission’s operations and delivery of the Hudson Tunnel Project, including procurement, contracting, litigation, and commercial negotiations. He will also advise the commission’s leadership and the Board of Commissioners on legal and regulatory matters.
“John has had a distinguished legal career, and his deep knowledge of the law will serve us well,” said GDC CEO Tom Prendergast on June 1. “As a public servant, John has demonstrated creativity, tenacity, and a commitment to expanding public transit in our region, all of which align with GDC’s mission to build a reliable, modern rail system that serves everyone who travels between New Jersey and New York. I am proud to welcome him to the GDC team.”
Bartlett brings decades of legal experience to the role, most recently as a partner at Murphy Orlando LLC, where he has practiced since 2012. He has overseen extensive work advising major public agencies and infrastructure organizations on complex governance, transactional, and operational matters.
Bartlett has also served as a Passaic County commissioner since 2013. He will vacate this position before assuming his role at the GDC.
As county commissioner, he has managed an annual budget exceeding $450 million, supporting a wide range of services for more than 525,000 residents. Bartlett also served for a decade on the executive committee of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, including two years as board chair.
Gateway Development Commission’s board also appointed Maria C. Anderson to serve as chief ethics and compliance officer and board secretary. Anderson joined GDC as deputy general counsel in January 2024 and has served as acting general counsel since August 2024.
The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) is a bistate agency with seven board members representing Amtrak and the states of New York and New Jersey. The single-purpose agency was created in 2019 to oversee the multibillion-dollar Gateway Program, including the new Hudson River rail tunnel and related infrastructure linking New Jersey and New York.
