Philip D. Kaltenbacher
Philip D. Kaltenbacher | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 7, 1937 Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, politician |
| Years active | 1964–2011 (business) |
| Known for | Former chairman and CEO of Seton Company; former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
Philip D. Kaltenbacher (born November 7, 1937) is recognized as the former chairman and chief executive officer of Seton Company, as well as a past chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Biography
A native of Orange, New Jersey, Kaltenbacher completed his secondary education at Newark Academy in 1955. He then obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1959, where he contributed as an editor to the Yale Daily News. Following his service in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps, he earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1963 and was admitted to practice law in both Connecticut and New Jersey by the following year. In 1964, he commenced his career at Seton Company, Inc., a prominent international provider of leather for automotive interiors and producer of chemicals and coated materials. Kaltenbacher held the positions of chairman and CEO at Seton from 1974 until 2011. Under his leadership, the company was taken private by investors in 1987, and in 1994, he implemented an employee stock ownership plan that awarded significant equity to the workforce.
His political career began with election to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1967, where he served alongside future Governor Thomas Kean. Residing in West Orange, New Jersey, he later returned to public service as a commissioner for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey between 1983 and 1993, including a tenure as chairman from 1985 through 1990. Additionally, Kaltenbacher chaired the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (1985–1990), led the Newark Legal and Communications Center Urban Renewal Corporation (1988–1990), and presided over the board of governors for The Club at the World Trade Center (1992–1993).
Among his accolades are the New Jersey Humanitarian Award (1987), Newark Academy Alumni Award for Achievement (1987), March of Dimes Service to Humanity Award (1988), and Essex Council Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizen Award (1990). In recognition of his contributions, Newark Academy named Kaltenbacher Hall on its Livingston campus in 2012. He is also a Sterling Fellow at Yale University and actively supports the Animal Rescue Coalition based in Sarasota, Florida.
Kaltenbacher was married to Unni Hovde for 47 years until her death in August 2023. He is father to two daughters and maintains residences in Jupiter, Florida, and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.