Coming off the bench to fix the MTA

About Joe Lhota

Joe Lhota is the new MTA chairman.. again. He joined the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1994, where he held several positions over Giuliani’s two terms. He first served as chief of staff to the deputy mayor for finance and economic development and that year was quickly promoted to New York City finance commissioner. In 1995, he was selected as director of the office of management and budget. In 1998, Giuliani appointed Lhota to deputy mayor for operations. Lhota served as Mayor Giuliani’s liaison to the White House, United States Congress, governor of New York, New York State Legislature, and New York City Council. In June 2017, Lhota was nominated by Cuomo to return to Chairman of the MTA. Lhota will remain at NYU Langone where he is a top executive, as he will not be the day-to-day executive of the MTA, that being Veronique Hakim. Joe Lhota’s actions during hurricane Sandy in 2012 literally saved the subway system when he foresaw the force of the storm and moved the entire system to high ground.