Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Joseph Lhota today 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 Vice President, 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,” Chairman 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.

"I’m honored and humbled to be offered this position and deeply appreciative of the confidence that Joe and Ronnie have placed in me,” Rinaldi said. “Since I came to Metro-North, the railroad’s dedicated employees have made me proud to be a part of their team. I look forward to working with everyone at the railroad to affirm and strengthen Metro-North’s commitment to safety and customer service.”

Rinaldi graduated summa cum laude from Yale and earned her law degree from the University of Virginia. She was born in Brooklyn, raised in Huntington, Long Island, and now resides in Westchester County with her husband and son.