Mark Dowd

Mark K. Dowd joined the MTA in November 2019 as its first Chief Innovation Officer.  Mark is leading several technology initiatives including the application of ultra-wideband to subways and the development of a New York regional transportation as a service model, and is deeply involved in spearheading innovative approaches to the COVID crisis in New York, including the application of ultraviolet light to kill the virus that cause COVID, developing technology tools to help with social distancing, running the COVID Challenge, and standing up a for-hire-vehicle program in five days to provide essential workers with transportation during the shutdown of subway service from 1:00am to 5:00am.

Prior to joining the MTA, Mark was the founder and Executive Director of Smart Cities Lab, a city-facing nonprofit providing policy support and a venue for cities to share what works, and what does not work, in a challenging funding environment. He also partnered with the innovation community to forge new solutions to the cities’ stubborn challenges. Mark is also a Visiting Scholar at University of California Berkeley where he was working with cities to find innovative ways to accelerate the adoption of new mobility technologies.

Prior to founding Smart Cities Lab, Mark served several different roles in the Obama Administration.  He was a Senior Advisor in the White House Office of Management and Budget and a Senior Advisor in the White House Council of Environmental Quality. Mark also was a member of President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Task Force and served for three years as a senior member of the President’s Auto Task Force, where he worked on the historic restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler.

Mark also served as a Senior Advisor to U.S. Department of Transportation’s Secretary Foxx and a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology where he worked on issues related to technology and innovation.  Mark is the architect of the Smart City Challenge that fundamentally changed the way American cities approach mobility.

He received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Gold Medal as well as awards from the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Southern District) for his work on the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, and the U.S. Department of Transportation for creating and executing the Smart City Challenge.

Mark’s nongovernmental service includes the Director and Assistant General Counsel at the Association of Global Automakers where he worked on policy development for advanced vehicle technologies.  Mark practiced law for thirteen years in New York City at the law firm of Schulte Roth & Zabel, specializing in transactions, restructuring, litigation, and regulatory matters as they relate to environmental and energy issues. Mark attended Rutgers College and Seton Hall University School of Law.