Midori Valdivia is a transportation, operations, and urban planning leader committed to building cities that center people. As the Founder + Principal of Midori Valdivia Consulting LLC, she specializes in advisory services and project leadership for organizations making change in cities.
Midori has focused on many issues in her career, including securing funding for transport agencies, operationalizing equity and prioritizing disability access, and building climate resilience. She led a career in public service, holding senior roles at significant transportation delivery organizations such as the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
As Chief of Staff to the Chair & CEO of the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), she led corporate strategy and worked on critical initiatives impacting millions daily. The MTA has the most extensive subway and bus system in North America and is the largest tolling agency in the United States, with over $2 billion in revenue annually. She led the efforts to successfully pass congestion pricing legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while funding mass transit. She oversaw critical elements of the OMNY launch—a new fare payment system. Midori was also the Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration (COO/CFO) at the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, responsible for licensing and regulating taxis and other for-hire services. She directed the organization’s operating and financial strategy in the age of Uber and led the development of the largest wheelchair-accessible taxi fleet in the nation at the time. She also supported a driver wage study that led to the first-in-the-nation minimum driver pay rules for transportation network companies (TNCs). Midori served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), focusing on significant regional investments, including the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport. She began her career at PANYNJ as a Leadership Fellow and a Senior Financial Analyst.
The Mayor of New York City and Governor of New York nominated Midori Valdivia to the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board in 2022. She is also a Board Member of the Regional Plan Association, a Trustee of the Transit Center, and a Board Member of the Shared-Use Mobility Center. She graduated from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, receiving her Master’s in Public Affairs & Urban Planning (MPA-URP) and her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University.