Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Cuomo Issues Port Authority Appointments and Reorganization Plans

Reorganization Will Enhance Port Authority and Shift Operational Control to the Facility

Governor Cuomo has recommended Patrick J. Foye to serve as Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and will nominate James Rubin and Rossana Rosado to the Port Authority Board.

Additionally, the Governor is calling for the board to approve the consolidation of the Moynihan Station Development Corporation and Lower Manhattan Development Corporations operations into the Authority. There is no fiscal impact to the Port Authority as a result of these changes.


Foye's recommendation is subject to the approval of the PANYNJ Board. Current Executive Director Christopher Ward will remain in his position until the end of October and then serve as an advisor to the Port Authority for a transitional period through the end of the year.

"The Port Authority must meet its potential as a major economic engine that plans for the region and attracts business on an international scale," Governor Cuomo said.

"We must also improve its operations and maximize the value out of every dollar spent so that it is financially responsible and respects the tax and toll payers."


Foye said "I am honored to be recommended for Executive Director of the Port Authority. Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, we have begun to re-energize New York's economy and pave the way for job growth in the state. I thank Governor Cuomo for this opportunity and look forward to working closely with him and the Board of Directors at the Port Authority on maintaining and improving the New York metropolitan region's vital transportation, infrastructure and economic development assets".

Cuomo also announced the reorganization of the operations of the Moynihan Station Development Corporation and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation into the Port Authority.

"Too many different agencies doing the same or closely related work makes little sense," Governor Cuomo added.

"The Port Authority is best situated to oversee the development at Moynihan Station and the orderly wind down of the LMDC and these changes will consolidate responsibility within the Authority."


There is no fiscal impact to the Port Authority from these changes. David Emil will become the Deputy Executive Director of the PANYNJ.

Governor Cuomo also intends to nominate Rossana Rosado and James Rubin to the Board of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Mr. Rubin's appointment as Senior Advisor for International Competiveness at the Empire State Development Corporation.

"With decades of work in government, finance and the media, James Rubin is a true national leader in international economic affairs," Cuomo stated.

"He will bring a knowledgeable and experienced voice to designing a program that enhances New York's role as the gateway for global commerce, and a center for the international business community."


"Rossana Rosado has served the people of New York, and particularly our Latino communities, with a dedication and vision," noted the Governor.

"Her 13 years of experience as Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of El Diaro La Prensa have highlighted her ability to communicate effectively with all New Yorkers. These skills will serve the Port Authority well as it continues to improve the lives of New Yorkers and our neighbors."


"The Port Authority can and should serve as an engine of international trade for the New York region. The state needs a renewed effort to grow jobs and increase global investment in New York and that will be my project," said
Rubin.

Rossana Rosado said "I am thrilled by the opportunity Governor Cuomo has given me to serve our communities in this new role. The Port Authority can have a positive impact in the lives of our residents, and it will be my pleasure to further the significant benefits that it provides, both now and in the future."

Foye is currently the Governor's Deputy Secretary of Economic Development, a role in which he manages the state's initiatives for economic recovery, investment, and job creation, and oversees the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC).

Previously, Foye was Deputy County Executive for Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano. He has also served as a board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), representing Nassau County.

Foye was one of only two MTA board members who in 2010 voted against fare increases- the third in three years. Prior to working for Nassau County, he was the downstate chief of ESDC for former Governor Eliot Spitzer as well as Vice Chair of the Long Island Power Authority.

Foye was a partner at Skadden Arps and practiced law in New York, Brussels, Budapest, and Moscow and was a senior member of the management team of a S&P 500 REIT for six years. He also served as President and CEO of the United Way of Long Island for three years.


Rubin is currently President of the Atlantic Partnership. From 2008 to 2011, he served as Executive Editor of Bloomberg View, the opinion section of Bloomberg News, and adjunct professor of international affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

Rubin served under President Clinton as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Chief Spokesman for the State Department from 1997 to May 2000. He was also a top policy adviser to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and acted as a special negotiator during the Kosovo war to secure the demobilization of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Rubin was also a Visiting Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics from 2001-2004; a partner in the Brunswick Group – a financial advisory firm – from 2001-2004; and in 2002 and 2003, the host of the PBS series Wide Angle, a primetime, weekly international affairs program.


Rosado has over twenty five years in the New York media industry. Since 1999 she has served as the Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of El Diario La Prensa - the nation's oldest Spanish-language newspaper. She is also the first woman to serve in this position.

Prior to joining El Diario in 1995 as Editor-in-Chief, she was the Vice President for Public Affairs at the Health & Hospitals Corporation for the City of New York and continued to serve there under both the Dinkins and Giuliani administrations. She was also chosen to assist the transition teams for the Bloomberg and Spitzer transitions.

From 1988 to 1995, Rosado was a public affairs programming producer at WPIX, where she became sole producer of daily program "Best Talk in Town." In 1992, she won an Emmy for her public service campaign "Care for Kids."

Rosado first joined El Diario in 1983 as a City Hall Reporter upon graduating from Pace University with a degree in Journalism. She is currently a member of the Pace University Board of Trustees.

The following comments were provided in the wake of the recommendations.

"Governor Cuomo's choice of Pat, James and Rossana, demonstrates his administration's commitment to improving New York's infrastructure and economic development. Having worked with Pat on a number of projects, I have had the opportunity to witness the experience and knowledge he brings to the table. I am confident that these appointments will help lead the Port Authority into a new era of fiscal responsibility and efficiency. This group's management skills are exactly what we need to put New York on the path to economic recovery." -
Kathryn Wilde, President and CEO of Partnership for New York City

"On behalf of the affiliated unions of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the 100,000 working men and women we represent, we commend Governor Cuomo for his appointment of Pat Foye to serve as executive director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. We and others in the business community have worked with Pat and are confident that he will bring competent and practical management to The Port Authority's vital role in maintaining and expanding our regional transportation assets and completing the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. We look forward to continuing to work with Pat to keep critical projects on track and assure that public resources are invested to maximize economic growth and job creation." -
Gary LaBarbera, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York

"I commend Governor Cuomo on nominating Pat to the Port Authority. He will bring public and private sector experience to the Port Authority, increasing its efficiency and productivity. An agency as complex as the Authority requires experienced managers who will balance the needs of the organization with the fiscal situation in New York. Pat and his team have the necessary credentials to ensure that the Port Authority will become a driving force in New York's economic development." -
Robert Yaro, President of Regional Plan Association

"The Governor has made it clear that creating jobs is his top priority. The Port Authority plays an essential role in New York's economic development and infrastructure, and Governor Cuomo is making sure that it will be able to produce the best results for the people of this state. Pat Foye and the rest of the team are excellent additions to the Authority's team. Pat's extensive management experience and keen knowledge of New York's fiscal make him especially suited for transforming the Port Authority into an economic engine." -
Steve Spinola, President of the Real Estate Board of New York

"Today's nomination of Pat Foye to lead the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey comes at a critical time in New York's history. There are many important projects throughout the region that can be advanced through strong leadership, and Senate Republicans stand ready to work with Governor Cuomo's team to promote regional economic development throughout New York. Pat Foye has worked for county executives and Governors, and has decades of public and private sector experience. I wish him great success in this new role." -
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos

"The Port Authority is an integral part of the redevelopment of downtown, and I look forward to working with Pat Foye as we continue the progress we have made in rebuilding my lower Manhattan community. Pat has a strong economic development record and I know we will work well together to complete the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site." -
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver

No comments: