The Gateway Program, which will expand and renovate the Northeast Corridor rail line, is a vital project to the region and country, but has encountered significant challenges. This represents just one example of many critical infrastructure investments in the U.S. that have faced long delays and strong political headwinds despite enthusiastic public support for fixing our nation’s infrastructure. What are the causes for these challenges and lack of investment, and what are the prospects looking forward? As the President's former infrastructure policy advisor, DJ Gribbin offers a unique perspective on the financial, regulatory, political and jurisdictional hurdles that must be overcome in order to achieve a renewed and sustained commitment to infrastructure investment.

Hon. DJ Gribbin is the founder of Madrus, LLC, a strategic consulting firm dedicated to developing critical infrastructure more efficiently. In July 2018, while continuing his work at Madrus, DJ joined Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners as a Senior Operating Partner. Before the founding of Madrus, DJ served in the White House as the nation’s first Special Assistant to the President for Infrastructure. In this role, DJ led the effort to develop the Administration’s infrastructure policy and championed permitting reform. In the public sector, DJ also served as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation and was the recipient of the Secretary’s gold medal on two separate occasions. At the Federal Highway Administration, DJ was Chief Counsel. While at FHWA, he created a federal public-private partnership (P3) task force and authored a report to Congress, underscoring the advantages of alternative delivery.

In the private sector, DJ was head of governmental advisory for Macquarie Capital and led advisory teams structuring P3 transactions for governmental clients. DJ has also worked for Koch Industries and HDR helping clients develop innovative ways to deliver infrastructure. Over the past two decades, DJ has been active with the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. He has served as its P3 Division president and as a board member. He is the only person to have won ARTBA's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for both public and private sectors.