New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Joseph Lhota announced that he has appointed Catherine Rinaldi as the sixth president of MTA Metro-North Railroad. Rinaldi has served as acting president of Metro-North since July 2017 and previously was Metro-North’s executive VP, beginning in 2015.

“Cathy is the best person to continue to push forward the progress that Metro-North has made in renewing the railroad and enhancing the confidence of its customers,” Lhota said. “She brings 15 years of dedicated service to the MTA, a disarmingly calm management style, a razor-sharp intellect, and an uncanny ability to break problems down into their component parts to quickly find a practical solution.”

Rinaldi served as general counsel for the MTA between 2003 and 2007 before taking on that role at the Long Island Rail Road, through 2011. In that year, she became chief of staff for the MTA, a position she held until 2015.

“Everyone who has had the good fortune of working with Cathy knows she inspires confidence in those around her through a mixture of leadership by example, evenhandedness and commitment to core principles,” said MTA Managing Director Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim. “She never loses sight of concern for customer experience.”

Metro-North Railroad is the second-busiest commuter railroad in the country, providing 86.5 million rides a year between Grand Central Terminal and 123 stations in nine counties in New York and Connecticut. Rinaldi becomes the first woman to serve as president.