Anthony Shorris

Anthony Shorris
Born	(1957-03-07) March 7, 1957 New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Public official, educator, health care expert
Years active	1984–present
Known for	Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; First Deputy Mayor of New York City; Partner at McKinsey & Company; faculty at Princeton University and NYU

Anthony Ernest Shorris (born March 7, 1957) is an American public official, educator, and health care expert. He has held the role of executive director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and was also the first deputy mayor of New York City. After retiring from municipal government in 2017, he took on a partnership at McKinsey & Company and serves as a graduate-level instructor at Princeton University.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Shorris is the son of author and humanitarian Earl Shorris and writer Sylvia Shorris. He completed his secondary education at Collegiate School (New York City), followed by an AB degree in Government from Harvard College in 1977. He then earned a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School in 1979.

Health care

Shorris launched his career in health care management at the non-profit organization HealthFirst Inc., where he held the positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer between 1995 and 2000. Subsequently, he provided consultancy services on health care administration to Taft-Hartley funds, including the 1199 National Benefit Fund. From 2010 until 2013, he was Vice Dean, Senior Vice President, and Chief of Staff at NYU Langone Medical Center.

Transportation and infrastructure

Between 1991 and 1995, Shorris served as First Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority under Stanley Brezenoff. He was appointed as the 11th Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 2007 to 2008 by Governor Eliot Spitzer. Early during his leadership, Governor Paterson replaced him with Christopher O. Ward. Following this, Shorris directed the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and worked as a consultant for government bodies on infrastructure-related policies.

Education

From 2000 to 2003, Shorris was Deputy Chancellor for Operations and Policy at the New York City Board of Education under chancellors Harold O. Levy and Joel I. Klein. He played a key role as senior policy advisor in shaping Governor Eliot Spitzer’s education reform plan between 2006 and 2007. Additionally, he instructed courses on education economics and policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and co-edited Excellence in the Classroom, published by the Brookings Institution.

Prior to his appointment as First Deputy Mayor, Shorris was Vice Dean of NYU School of Medicine and faculty member at the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, where he led the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy. His teaching portfolio included transportation policy and crisis management classes. Between 2003 and 2007, he was part of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School faculty, directing the Policy Research Institute for the Region (PRIOR) while holding the Frederick H. Schultz Class of 1951 Professor of International Economic Policy chair from 2003 to 2004. Currently, he is John Weinberg/Goldman Sachs Visiting Professor at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs.

Finance and management

From 1984 until 1988, Shorris served as deputy budget director for New York City within the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB), contributing to the design of Mayor Edward I. Koch's Ten Year Housing Plan. He then held the position of Finance Commissioner from 1987 to 1989 during the Koch administration. Presently, Shorris sits on the Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is a Partner at McKinsey & Company.

Additional Roles and Publications

Shorris is a member of the Executive Committee at the Regional Plan Association and participates on the Advisory Board for New York City's Independent Budget Office. Additionally, he holds board positions with the United Hospital Fund of New York and the New York City Ballet. His knowledge in areas such as education, infrastructure, and fiscal management has been highlighted in outlets including The New York Times, The Newark Star-Ledger, The Nation, and The Century Foundation.

Personal Life

He lives in New York City alongside his wife, writer Maria Laurino, and their son.

Bibliography

• Paterson, David (2020). Black, Blind, & in Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity. New York: Skyhorse Publishing