Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti | |
|---|---|
| Chief of Staff to theGovernor of New Jersey | |
| Assumed office September 30, 2023 | |
| Governor | Phil Murphy |
| Preceded by | George Helmy |
| Commissioner of theNew Jersey Department of Transportation | |
| In office 2018–2024 | |
| Governor | Phil Murphy |
| Preceded by | Richard T. Hammer |
| Succeeded by | Francis K. O'Connor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Connecticut (BS) Rutgers University, New Brunswick (MS) |
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti is the formerexecutive director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority andFlorida's Turnpike Enterprise. She became acting commissioner of theNew Jersey Department of Transportation in January 2018 and was confirmed in June 2018[1][2] and acting director of the state's Transportation Trust Fund Authority.[3][4] She also serves chair of the board forNJ Transit.[5]
Gutierrez-Scaccetti was born inNewark, New Jersey, and raised inLawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. She attended theUniversity of Connecticut (1977–1981), attaining a bachelor's of science degree in business administration, andRutgers University-New Brunswick (1983–1987), graduating at the top of her class (4.0 GPA) with a masters of science degree in human resources and industrial relations.[6]
TheNew Jersey Turnpike Authority oversees theNew Jersey Turnpike and theGarden State Parkway. Gutierrez-Scaccetti began her work for the agency as assistant contract administrator in the law department. She became chief of staff in 1995 and deputy director in 1997 before becoming executive director in 2008. During her tenure she worked on bond issues, labor negotiations, implementation ofE-ZPass, the consolidation of the turnpike and parkway under the agency and widening projects for both roadways. She resigned in June 2010 soon after the beginning ofChristie administration.[7]
In August 2011 she became the executive director and CEO of theFlorida's Turnpike Enterprise.[8] In 2013, Gutierrez-Scaccetti choseConduent for theSunPasselectronic toll collection system over its competitors, even though the competitors were cheaper and had better technical scores. Gutierrez-Scaccetti flew to New Jersey for an industry conference less than two weeks before the selection meeting. After the conference, she delayed her flight to meet with Conduent representatives and one of its subcontractors. Florida state employees involved in awarding contracts are prohibited from discussing the bidding with the competing companies before the selection is made[9] It is expected that the Florida Turnpike Enterprise will lose more than $50 Million because of Conduent's inability to process tolls.[10]
She was nominated to be commissioner of theNew Jersey Department of Transportation byGovernor of New JerseyPhil Murphy in December 2017, pendingNew Jersey Senate approval,[6] which she received in June 2018.[1] In addition to the roads and bridges, the department is also responsible for mass transit in the state, largely provided byNJ Transit, which Murphy has called a "national disgrace".[11] In this position, she also served as the chair ofTRB's executive committee in 2023.