ALBANY – The State Senate unanimously confirmed Joseph Lhota as Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Thomas Madison as Executive Director of the New York Thruway Authority, and Gil Quiniones as President and CEO of the New York Power Authority (NYPA).

"New York will benefit from the leadership and experience of these dedicated public servants," said Governor Andrew Cuomo. "These new members of the administration will transform the state's transportation and energy infrastructure while creating jobs for New Yorkers. I thank Majority Leader Skelos and Senators Fuschillo, Dilan, Ranzenhofer, Perkins, Maziarz, Parker, and DeFrancisco for the expeditious confirmation process."

Joseph Lhota said, "As a life-long New Yorker and transit rider, I understand the importance of the MTA to New York's economy and the responsibility of being chairman. I'm grateful to Governor Cuomo for his nomination and to the Senate for its support, and I look forward to creating a more efficient and effective MTA for our riders and New York taxpayers."

Thomas Madison said, "For decades, the New York State Thruway has effectively connected our communities as one super network across this great state. The Thruway System is not only a crucial physical link in New York – it also operates as an economic catalyst and jobs generator from Buffalo to New York City. I am privileged for the chance to lead and reinforce the Thruway Authority as a fundamental partner with Governor Cuomo and Chairman Milstein in their work to advance our state's infrastructure and economy."

Gil Quiniones said, "Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has made 'powering New York' into the future a top priority. I thank the Governor for the opportunity to help him make this priority a reality as we provide lower cost power to spur economic development, and make investments to support reliable, affordable and clean electricity for New York. These measures are integral to advancing the Governor's comprehensive vision for strengthening New York's economy."

Joseph Lhota served as the New York City Deputy Mayor for Operations under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, where he oversaw day-to-day management of the City and supervised City agencies. He also served as Budget Director, where he managed the City's $36 billion operating budget and $45 billion capital budget, cut costs, led agency reorganizations and consolidations, and implemented performance-based strategic planning. Mr. Lhota also served as the Commissioner of Finance for New York City and has been a Board Member of the MTA.

Thomas Madison was Vice President and Director of Transportation Policy at STV, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in design services and construction management for transportation systems and infrastructure projects.

From 2008 to 2009, Mr. Madison served as Federal Highway Administrator at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Previously, he served as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation from 2005 to 2007 and was Deputy Secretary for Transportation from 2004 to 2005. He also held the positions of Director of State and Local Government Affairs from 2001 to 2003 and Deputy Appointments Director from1999 to 2000.

Gil C. Quiniones previously served as acting president and CEO of the New York Power Authority, the nation's largest state electric utility. He was the chief operating officer since June 2008.

As COO, Mr. Quiniones was responsible for managing and monitoring the day-to-day activities of the Power Authority, which owns and operates 17 power plants and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines in various parts of New York State. He oversees operations in such areas as power generation and transmission; project development and licensing; regulatory compliance; power resource planning and acquisition; energy efficiency and technology; power marketing and economic development; and corporate services and administration.

Quiniones is a member of the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute, the electric power industry's international research and development organization. He is also active in the affairs of two national public power organizations, serving on the Steering Committee of the Large Public Power Council and as the Power Authority's principal representative to the American Public Power Association.