CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Prominent attorney and executive James D. Schultz is the new chair of the Delaware River Port Authority Board of Commissioners, replacing Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.
Parker resigned from the 16-member board last month, after she was sworn in as Philadelphia's 100th mayor.
Schultz is currently the executive vice president of global public policy and government affairs at the lottery firm Scientific Games. He served as general counsel to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, and also worked as an associate White House counsel in the Trump administration. Gov. Josh Shapiro appointed him to the DRPA board last August.
As chair of the DRPA and its $189 million operating budget, Shultz said his goal is to keep its four bridges well maintained. "I want to make sure that the infrastructure is taken care of, that the bridges are maintained, that the train system is running well, and that we have a clean, safe environment for folks to commute back and forth between New Jersey and Pennsylvania," Schultz said.
The authority hasn't raised tolls on the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Betsy Ross and Commodore Barry bridges in 13 years. The panel will consider the issue in April, and Schultz on Wednesday said nothing has been decided yet.
"I expect that we'll be looking at all options as it relates to this, and I look forward to meeting with the staff and talking about these issues. But there has been no determination made as to whether a toll increase is on the horizon here."
Vaughn Ross, founder of the Philadelphia consulting firm Rvesta, was also sworn in Wednesday to fill the vacancy created by Parker's departure.