The Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC), which is responsible for federal transportation funding and programming in the 4-County region of Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties, has appointed Michael V. Franchini as their new Executive Director.

The CDTC established a search committee, advertised nationally, and interviewed qualified candidates during the 4-month process to find a replacement for the recently retired Executive Director John P. Poorman. Poorman retired from CDTC after 37 years of exemplary service.

Franchini has a B.S. in Marine Science from the United States Coast Guard Academy and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. Previously, he worked as the City of Albany Commissioner of Water, Albany County Commissioner of Public Works, and Albany County Director of Operations. He was also the Albany County representative at the CDTC for 14 years and served as the CDTC Planning Committee Chairman for 7 years.

“We are pleased to have someone of Mike’s caliber join and lead our outstanding team of professionals at CDTC, which John Poorman led for over the past 30 years. I am very excited about Mike’s arrival, and his vast experience in government, his various administrative capacities, as well as his involvement with CDTC over the years as its Planning Board Chair make him the best candidate to lead CDTC in the future” said Mayor John T. McDonald III, Cohoes and Chairman of the CDTC.

“In addition to his understanding of the federal-aid transportation process, Mike’s extensive experience in transportation planning, funding and operations makes him a great fit for this position. We look forward to working with him” said Mary E. Ivey, NYSDOT Region 1 Director.

Franchini said, “This is a great opportunity to serve the residents of the Capital Region. CDTC plays a vital role in shaping our region’s transportation future, and as Executive Director, I will work to ensure that we have the best transportation system possible.”