The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is governed by an eight-member Board of Commissioners. One seat is currently vacant. The Governor appoints most of the members of the board and designates the chair. The Governor has the statutory authority to overturn an action of the Board by vetoing the minutes of the meeting at which the action was taken.
Francis (Fran) O’Connor was nominated to serve as Commissioner of ...
Francis (Fran) O’Connor was nominated to serve as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation by Governor Murphy in January 2024. His appointment was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate in June 2024.
Fran returns to New Jersey State service with over 40 years of public and private sector transportation experience. He began his public service career at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority as a toll collector and rose to be the Deputy Director of the NJTA’s Electronic Toll Collection Program. In that role he launched the Authority’s first electronic toll collection installation.
While in the private sector, Fran advised transportation agencies across the country on the development and execution of critical projects with a strategic focus on toll roads. In this work, Fran has overseen hundreds of employees at a time, implemented large-scale customer service centers, and engaged with regulatory entities at all levels of government.
He graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in accounting from St. Peter’s University.
Mr. Diaz is employed at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jers...
Mr. Diaz is employed at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey as Director of Enterprise Government Affairs. Mr. Diaz previously worked for Verizon Communications Inc., where he was responsible for the development of the company’s government affairs activities and its legislative program for New Jersey. He also worked for United Water New Jersey, where he was responsible for external affairs activities, including government and public affairs, communications and business development. Mr. Diaz has a B.A. in business administration from Rutgers University. He is a resident of Rutherford, Bergen County.
Mr. DuPont is a Partner in the law firm McKenna, DuPont, Higgins &...
Mr. DuPont is a Partner in the law firm McKenna, DuPont, Higgins & Stone and is President of the Garden State Arts Foundation. He served on the transition teams of former Governors John S. Corzine and James E. McGreevey. Mr. DuPont has a B.A. in political science and business administration from Loyola University and a J.D. from the John Marshall School of Law. He resides in Red Bank, Monmouth County.
Mr. Gravino is Senior Vice President Finance and Human Resources a...
Mr. Gravino is Senior Vice President Finance and Human Resources at INVIDI Technologies Corp. in Princeton, which he joined after many years as a financial/turnaround consultant. He served as Chairman of the Newark Liberty International Airport Board for over 11 years . He also serves on the Garden State Arts Foundation. Previously a Commissioner/Vice Chairman/Chairman of the former New Jersey Highway Authority, he is currently the Chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Audit Committee. Mr. Gravino lives in Edison, Middlesex County.
Mr. Salermo is Managing Partner of MAR Acquisition Group LLC, a re...
Mr. Salermo is Managing Partner of MAR Acquisition Group LLC, a real estate services company in Elizabeth. He has held leadership positions in several civic and community organizations, including the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, the Elizabeth Development Corp., the YMCA of Eastern Union County, the Elizabeth Avenue Partnership, and the Union County Workforce Investment Board. Mr. Salermo attended Elizabeth High School and Union County College. He resides in Warren Township, Somerset County.
Mr. Maldonado-Ramírez is the Senior Counsel for Policy and Externa...
Mr. Maldonado-Ramírez is the Senior Counsel for Policy and External Affairs at the New Jersey Laborers-Employers Cooperative and Education Trust (New Jersey LECET). Previously, he held senior staff positions in the Majority offices of the New Jersey Senate and Assembly, served in policy roles on the campaign of former Gov. Jon Corzine and the transition team of Gov. Phil Murphy, practiced voting rights law for the non-profit Advancement Project, and served as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Mr. Maldonado-Ramírez, a native of San Juan, is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He lives in Highland Park, Middlesex County, with his wife and two sons.
Mr. Wisniewski is the managing member of Wisniewski & Associat...
Mr. Wisniewski is the managing member of Wisniewski & Associates, LLC, a general practice law firm in Sayreville. He served from 1996 to 2018 in the New Jersey Assembly, holding the posts of Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Transportation & Independent Authorities Committee. He was also co-chair of the New Jersey Legislature’s Joint Select Committee on Investigation and led the legislature’s investigation into the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. He served from 2010 to 2013 as Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee and was a member of the Democratic National Committee. He is member of the New Jersey Fire Safety Commission and a member of the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers Advisory Board. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and Seton Hall University School of Law. Mr. Wisniewski resides in Sayreville.
Mr. Carone, a Certified Public Accountant, was named Executive Dir...
Mr. Carone, a Certified Public Accountant, was named Executive Director in July 2023 after more than five years as Deputy Executive Director. He went to work as a Staff Auditor at the New Jersey Highway Authority in 1977, and during his 26 years with that agency held the positions of Senior Auditor, Audit Manager, and Assistant Chief Auditor. When the Highway Authority and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority were consolidated in 2003, Mr. Carone was named Director of Internal Audit. He served in that position until his appointment as Deputy Executive Director in April 2018. Mr. Carone is a 1976 graduate of Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA.
Ms. Wilser was named Deputy Executive Director in October 2023 aft...
Ms. Wilser was named Deputy Executive Director in October 2023 after five years as the Director of Internal Audit. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Director of Procurement and Materials Management, a position from which she oversaw supply chain, warehousing, and professional services procurements. Ms. Wilser went to work as a Staff Auditor at the former New Jersey Highway Authority in 1986 and held the positions of Senior Auditor, Audit Supervisor, Audit Manager and Deputy Director. Ms. Wilser graduated from St. Leo University in Florida in 1986 with a BA in Accounting.
