New York (TIP): Indian American attorney Meera Joshi is all set to become deputy mayor of operations of New York City on Jan 1 chartering yet another historic first for the Indian American community. Joshi, with over 16 years of experience leading government oversight agencies, is one of the two deputy mayors of Asian descent in a team five women deputies in mayor-elect Eric Adams’s administration. She previously served as chair and CEO of New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, for five years.
“As Deputy Mayor for Operations, Meera Joshi will ensure that our City is able to respond in real time to meet and exceed the needs of every community and be a model of excellence for all urban centers,” Adams said announcing her appointment Dec 20. “Anyone that knows me knows I’m a momma’s boy and I was raised by women,” Adams was quoted as saying. “Under the mayor-elect’s leadership, we have the opportunity to improve the lives of each and every New Yorker and their children and their children,” Joshi said.
President Joe Biden had appointed Joshi as the Deputy Administrator and senior official of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Jan 20, the very first day of his administration. The White House sent her nomination for promotion as Administrator of the safety agency to the Senate on April 15. But Joshi’s selection as New York City’s deputy mayor would spell the end of her nomination.
American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear welcomed her appointment saying, “Joshi has led FMCSA through historic times — as an unprecedented global pandemic, countless natural disasters, a cyberattack on a major domestic pipeline, and widespread workforce shortages challenged the freight economy in ways never before seen.”
“Throughout her tenure, the trucking industry has found Deputy Administrator Joshi to be a candid, collaborative, and valued partner in government,” he stated. “Her use of data and stakeholder input drove a sound policy process designed to meet real-world needs.”
“Her leadership has helped to ensure our industry could continue to safely serve the American people and meet the demands of the economy during these incredible times,” Spear added.
In her previous role as head of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, America’s largest for-hire transportation regulator, Joshi spearheaded novel Vision Zero campaigns using data tools to keep high risk drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road, according to her official bio.
She also led landmark policy, including establishing robust open transportation data standards for app-based providers; enacting America’s first for-hire driver pay protection program and providing broad access to for-hire transportation for passengers who use wheelchairs. Prior to transportation regulation, Joshi was the Inspector General for New York City’s Department of Corrections, responsible for investigation of corruption and criminality at all levels of New York City’s jail operations and the First Deputy Executive Director of New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, leading investigations of police misconduct. In addition to her government positions, Joshi served as General Manager for the New York Office of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants and was a visiting scholar at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Joshi holds a BA and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.