Valdivia, who at present sits on the board of the MTA, is a former deputy commissioner on the TLC, which regulates the town’s yellow cabs, liveries, Ubers and Lyfts. She served because the TLC’s commissioner for finance and administration from 2015 to 2017.
Mamdani is anticipated to make the announcement Tuesday night time at LaGuardia Airport, a serious hub for taxi and rideshare-app drivers.
Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec declined to remark forward of the anticipated announcement, as did Bhairavi Desai, head of the New York Taxi Staff Alliance and a member of the Mamdani transition staff.
Valdivia herself couldn’t be reached.
Valdivia’s TLC appointment comes after she was additionally into account to turn out to be Mamdani’s deputy mayor for operations or Division of Transportation commissioner, based on sources accustomed to the matter.
In the end, Mamdani picked Julia Kerson, a former infrastructure adviser to Gov. Hochul, as his deputy for operations, and transit knowledgeable Mike Flynn as DOT commissioner.
In Valdivia, Kerson and Flynn, Mamdani has three advisers with in depth expertise in public transit — a deep bench that may very well be key for him as he seeks to make good on his promise to make the town’s public buses quick and free.
However Mamdani additionally has a historical past of fiercely backing taxi staff — a popularity that can put a detailed eye on his decide to guide the trade’s regulation.
From left, MTA Chairperson and CEO Janno Lieber, Metropolis Council Member Rita Joseph, Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and MTA board member Midori Valdivia reduce the ribbon on the accessible entrance and headhouse on E. 18th St. to the Church Ave. subway station on the B/Q strains on Tuesday, Nov 25, 2025. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
As an Meeting member, Mamdani was among the many half-dozen elected officers arrested whereas rallying for higher debt aid for taxi drivers in 2021. Throughout these protests he additionally joined the drivers on a starvation strike, a tactic that in the end drove then-Mayor de Blasio to cap debt funds for the drivers struggling beneath the taxi medallion disaster.
Along with serving on the MTA board and the TLC, Valdivia has held many roles in New York Metropolis-area transit.
She reduce her enamel on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, beginning as a fellow in 2008 earlier than rising to turn out to be a senior adviser to the bi-state company’s government director.
After leaving the TLC in 2017, Valdivia served because the chief of workers to 2 MTA chairmen, Joe Lhota and Pat Foye, earlier than departing in 2020.
Valdivia then opened her personal transportation and concrete planning consultancy agency in 2020. She has saved operating that agency since ex-Mayor Eric Adams named her to the MTA board in 2022.
