The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) announced that Catherine Rinaldi will be the GDC’s first executive vice president, effective Monday, April 7. Rinaldi was president of the Metro-North Railroad from 2018 until last month. She was the first woman to serve as that rail service’s president.
At Gateway, Rinaldi will be responsible for strengthening the organization’s capacity to deliver the Hudson Tunnel Project. This endeavor involves construction of a two-track Hudson River rail tunnel serving New York Penn Station and the rehabilitation of the existing North River Tunnel (NRT) that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
Rinaldi will oversee all essential administrative functions, while developing and tracking metrics to ensure that GDC achieves its objectives, among her other responsibilities.
“Cathy Rinaldi’s impressive track record speaks for itself. At every agency she’s led, she’s succeeded in instilling a results-driven ethic,” said GDC CEO Tom Prendergast. “With half our contracts in construction and more on the way, top talent like Cathy will help keep the Hudson Tunnel Project on scope, schedule, and budget.”
Rinaldi’s credentials include senior executive positions at Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road, two of the busiest commuter rail systems in the United States.
During her seven years as Metro-North president, on-time performance rose and Metro-North achieved the highest customer satisfaction of any of the MTA operating agencies. She was an interim LIRR president in 2022 and 2023 and launched service into the new Grand Central Madison terminal.
Rinaldi joins GDC as the organization transitions into heavy civil construction. With work expected to pick up in the coming months, the first five projects underway are forecast to support 20,200 jobs and $4.5 billion in economic output.
