Midori Valdivia (she/her/ella) is a transportation, operations, and urban planning professional committed to expanding mobility options for people. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer for the Coro New York Leadership Center, the City’s premier civic leadership training organization.
Valdivia has led a career in public service holding senior roles at major transportation agencies in New York City. Her experience spans across a variety of modes including subways, bus, ports, taxi and for-hire vehicle transportation, and airports. She began her career in financial analysis and capital planning at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Prior to Coro and developing her own consulting practice, Valdivia was the Chief of Staff to the Chair & CEO of the MTA. She also held the role of Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, the agency responsible for licensing and regulating taxis and other for-hire services such as Uber and Lyft. There, Valdivia led the development of the largest wheelchair-accessible taxi fleet in the nation at the time. She also served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Valdivia is a graduate of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs where she received a joint degree in Public Affairs and Urban & Regional Planning. She received her bachelor’s degree at Penn State.
Valdivia is a frequent subway and bus rider, including the express bus. She is part of communities that work to increase representation of women and people of color across the urban planning sector. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and daughter, fellow public transit enthusiasts.