Thruway Authority, Canal Corp. have new director

Bill Finch was nominated Monday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and appointed as acting executive director by the Thruway Authority and Canal Corporation Board of Directors.

“Bill Finch is a dedicated public servant and his combination of state and local government experience will be an asset to the Thruway Authority,” Cuomo said. “The Thruway is a critical part of New York’s transportation system and I look forward to working with Bill to ensure the safety and economic viability of our highways across this state.”

Prior to his nomination, Mr. Finch served as mayor of Connecticut’s largest city, Bridgeport, from 2007 until 2015. As mayor, he oversaw a budget of more than $500 million and more than 2,000 employees and helped facilitate the city’s first population increase in decades. During his mayoral tenure, Mr. Finch initiated a $750 million program to rebuild local schools over the course of eight years, and an environmental sustainability plan called “bGreen 2020.”

From 2000 until 2007, Mr. Finch served as a Connecticut State Senator where he held the positions of Majority Whip, Chair of the Environment Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee. As a State Senator, Mr. Finch worked to create jobs, attract businesses to the state, and promote green energy across the state.

“I am absolutely humbled to have been recommended for nomination by Governor Cuomo to lead the New York State Thruway Authority and Canal Corporation as its executive director,” said former Bridgeport Mayor, Bill Finch. “Either for commerce, recreational travel, economic development or commuting, the Thruway is a critically important link between all the communities it touches across the state. I am thrilled to call Albany my new home and to hit the ground running with the dedicated team at the Authority and Corporation.”