Christie's Chief For Sandy Recovery Leaving Position

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Marc Ferzan, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christe's aide in charge of setting up and running the office for rebuilding New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy, is leaving the position for family reasons, the governor's office said Tuesday.

Ferzan will be replaced as the executive director of the Governor's Office of Recovery and Rebuilding by Terrence Brody, Christie's office said.

Ferzan is becoming a teacher at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, where his wife, Kimberly Ferzan, has joined the law school faculty. Kimberly Ferzan previously worked at the Rutgers University campus in Camden, New Jersey.

Marc Ferzan was named to the Sandy post shortly after the storm in 2012. He had worked for Christie at both the U.S. Attorney's Office and the state government before going into private practice.

Despite his title, Ferzan was not often cast as the public face of the state's recovery effort, nor was he the only high-level official in charge of the momentous task. State departments, including community affairs and transportation, have had major parts of the job.

But to those who believe the Christie administration has not worked quickly or thoughtfully enough, Ferzan became a magnet for criticism.

``We have seen failure upon failure trying to get New Jersey moving forward and back on its feet,'' Jeff Tittel, the state director of Sierra Club said in a statement Tuesday, noting that some storm victims are still out of their homes. ``Mr. Ferzan was a symbol of arrogance and frustration because he refused to meet with people impacted by Sandy and even the Legislature.''

The state's recovery efforts _ almost entirely funded by the federal government _ include more than 50 different programs.

Among the undertakings that have business and symbolic implications: All major rebuilding efforts for boardwalks damaged by the storm have been finished.

``Marc Ferzan led our efforts to meet that challenge and did so with great professionalism, effectiveness, and with the needs of Sandy survivors always in the front of his mind,'' Christie said in a statement.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories:

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)