MTA Names Interim CEO, Replacing Sander

NEW YORK CITY-As the search for a permanent chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority gets underway, Helena Williams has been named interim executive director and CEO of the transit agency. President of the MTA’s Long Island Rail Road, Williams is temporarily replacing Elliot Sander as MTA head following Sander’s resignation earlier this month.

Williams was named to the interim post on Thursday by MTA chairman H. Dale Hemmerdinger. Friday was the last day on the job for Sander, who agreed to resign after the State Legislature’s long-delayed passage of a bill to address the cash-strapped agency’s growing deficits.

“This is a time of transition at the MTA, but it is critical that we continue to serve our customers without missing a beat,” Hemmerdinger says in a statement. “Helena Williams is doing a terrific job at the Long Island Rail Road and will be an excellent steward for the entire transit system until a new chairman and CEO is appointed.”