Francis (Frank) J. Lombardi is the former Chief Engineer of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the position he held from 1995 until his retirement in 2010.
During his tenure as Chief Engineer, Frank was responsible to oversee the planning, development and completion of complex, critical construction projects in the region, including rail connectors to John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airports; airport terminal redevelopment projects; the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal; electronic toll collection at the Hudson River crossings; port channel deepening projects and ExpressRail facilities.
Under his leadership, several innovative engineering techniques were developed and implemented by the Port Authority. Recent projects incorporating these innovations include: protective coverings for the suspender ropes of the George Washington Bridge for enhanced safety and security; and, replacing asphalt with concrete on the Bay Runway, the longest runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport, to increase its utility and efficiency for many years to come.
Immediately following the events of September 11, 2001, Frank Lombardi played a prominent role as part of the crisis management team of Port Authority executives that was assembled to ensure the well-being of staff and to tackle the difficult challenges facing the agency. He was charged with overseeing the massive project to restore PATH service to Exchange Place and Lower Manhattan. Under his direction, PATH service was successfully restored in November of 2003.
Prior to being appointed Chief Engineer, Frank held the position of Assistant Chief Engineer, from 1991 to 1995. During this time, Frank was confronted with the challenge of rehabilitating the World Trade Center following the February 26, 1993 bombing. With Frank at the forefront of the restoration effort, the extensive structural repairs were made and the World Trade Center reopened to tenants in April of that year.
From 1988 to 1991, Frank was Manager of Design for John F. Kennedy International Airport Redevelopment. In that role, he was instrumental in the planning and design of an unprecedented airport redevelopment program, which included the development of airport terminals, new parking garages and the new airport access rail link, known as AirTrain JFK.
Frank has been the recipient of many Port Authority awards and citations. For his exceptional commitment to excellence in public service to the region, the Howard S. Cullman Distinguished Service Award, the agency’s highest honor, was conferred in 2010, and the Robert F. Wagner Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2007. Among the other Port Authority awards he has received: the James G. Hellmuth Unit Citation for the restoration of PATH service to Exchange Place and Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11 (2004); an Exceptional Service Award for his role on the Port Authority’s Executive Level Crisis Management Team (2002); and the World Trade Center Award for Exceptional Service for his extraordinary work in rehabilitating the World Trade Center after the 1993 bombing (1993).
Throughout his 39-year Port Authority career, Frank provided sound guidance and advice to staff at every level. He has spent countless hours mentoring dozens of students by sharing his enthusiasm for choosing engineering as a career. He is an Adjunct Professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering and Manhattan College, teaching at these institutions since 2005 and 2011 respectively.
Frank Lombardi was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2010 and is a Fellow of the Society of American Military Engineers. He was elected to the National Academy of Construction in 2010 for his outstanding achievements and contributions to the engineering and construction industry. He was honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers for his lifetime accomplishments in government and public service during the Society’s Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Awards dinner in 2012.
Frank is a licensed Professional Engineer having earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering (1970) at the School of Engineering and Science of New York University. He attended Queens College for three years before transferring to NYU as part of a special five-year program combining liberal arts and engineering. As part of the program, he also received a Bachelor of Arts (1971) from Queens College. He earned a Master of Science (1975) from Columbia University and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (1983) in Business Management from Pace University. In 2007, Frank Lombardi received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Manhattan College.