The Indian Panorama

Tag: Meera Joshi

  • Five eminent Indian-origin women honored at the Indian Consulate on International Women’s Day

    Five eminent Indian-origin women honored at the Indian Consulate on International Women’s Day

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): Five eminent Indian-origin women were honored at the Indian Consulate on  the occasion of the International Women’s Day.

    The Federation of Indian Associations, in association with the Consulate General of India in New York held its fifth annual International Women’s Day celebrations on March 8 and honored five women for their outstanding achievements.

    Among the awardees was Deputy Mayor of New York City, Meera Joshi, an attorney by profession, who in her current role has accomplished several significant achievements, including transport innovations and equity cabinet. She also played a key role in implementing New York City’s Vision Zero program — a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and injuries, the statement said. The other awardee was Radha Subramanyam, president and chief research and analytics officer at CBS – TV Net Corp. An award-winning media executive, Subramanyam has also been recognized as one of the ‘100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry’ by Automotive News.

    Hina Patel is a TEDx speaker and executive leader leading a 200-employee engineering firm in three states. FIA said Patel is an advocate of women’s rights in workplaces and has worked towards gender equity.

    Padmini Murthy is a physician and global health leader at the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) and has worked tirelessly to improve access to healthcare services, particularly for underserved women, the FIA said.

    She has initiated several global health programs that focus on women’s health such as the women’s eye health taskforce and the Global Health council’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health initiative.

    Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Falu Shah was also honored at the event that was also addressed by Dr Abha Jaiswal. Shah was, however, unable to attend the function as she was in India where she performed at the inauguration of the cricket test match between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. Consul General of India in New York, Randhir Jaiswal, congratulated the 2023 recipients and encouraged the community to engage in more meaningful and community-impacting events.

     

  • Indian American Meera Joshi set to become New York City Deputy Mayor

    Indian American Meera Joshi set to become New York City Deputy Mayor

    New York (TIP): Indian American attorney Meera Joshi is all set to become deputy mayor of operations of New York City on Jan 1 chartering yet another historic first for the Indian American community. Joshi, with over 16 years of experience leading government oversight agencies, is one of the two deputy mayors of Asian descent in a team five women deputies in mayor-elect Eric Adams’s administration. She previously served as chair and CEO of New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, for five years.

    “As Deputy Mayor for Operations, Meera Joshi will ensure that our City is able to respond in real time to meet and exceed the needs of every community and be a model of excellence for all urban centers,” Adams said announcing her appointment Dec 20. “Anyone that knows me knows I’m a momma’s boy and I was raised by women,” Adams was quoted as saying. “Under the mayor-elect’s leadership, we have the opportunity to improve the lives of each and every New Yorker and their children and their children,” Joshi said.

    President Joe Biden had appointed Joshi as the Deputy Administrator and senior official of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Jan 20, the very first day of his administration. The White House sent her nomination for promotion as Administrator of the safety agency to the Senate on April 15. But Joshi’s selection as New York City’s deputy mayor would spell the end of her nomination.

    American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear welcomed her appointment saying, “Joshi has led FMCSA through historic times — as an unprecedented global pandemic, countless natural disasters, a cyberattack on a major domestic pipeline, and widespread workforce shortages challenged the freight economy in ways never before seen.”

    “Throughout her tenure, the trucking industry has found Deputy Administrator Joshi to be a candid, collaborative, and valued partner in government,” he stated. “Her use of data and stakeholder input drove a sound policy process designed to meet real-world needs.”

    “Her leadership has helped to ensure our industry could continue to safely serve the American people and meet the demands of the economy during these incredible times,” Spear added.

    In her previous role as head of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, America’s largest for-hire transportation regulator, Joshi spearheaded novel Vision Zero campaigns using data tools to keep high risk drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road, according to her official bio.

    She also led landmark policy, including establishing robust open transportation data standards for app-based providers; enacting America’s first for-hire driver pay protection program and providing broad access to for-hire transportation for passengers who use wheelchairs. Prior to transportation regulation, Joshi was the Inspector General for New York City’s Department of Corrections, responsible for investigation of corruption and criminality at all levels of New York City’s jail operations and the First Deputy Executive Director of New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, leading investigations of police misconduct. In addition to her government positions, Joshi served as General Manager for the New York Office of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants and was a visiting scholar at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Joshi holds a BA and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

  • Indian American Officials Meera Joshi, Radhika Fox named for key jobs

    Indian American Officials Meera Joshi, Radhika Fox named for key jobs

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President Joe Biden is tapping two Indian American women already working in his administration as part of a 10-member team to lead on climate and transportation matters across key agencies. While Meera Joshi is being named as Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, Radhika Fox would become Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency.

    Biden’s intent to elevate Joshi, an attorney with over 16 years of experience leading government oversight agencies, and Fox, a water issues expert, both working for his administration since January 20 inauguration day, was announced by the White House Wednesday. Appointed as the Deputy Administrator and senior official of the agency she would now head on day one, Joshi was previously Chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

    At the nation’s largest for-hire transportation regulator, Joshi spearheaded novel Vision Zero campaigns using data tools to keep high risk drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road, according to his official biography. She also led landmark policy, including establishing robust open transportation data standards for app-based providers; enacting the nation’s first for-hire driver pay protection program and providing broad access to for-hire transportation for passengers who use wheelchairs. Prior to transportation regulation, Joshi was the Inspector General for New York City’s Department of Corrections, responsible for investigation of corruption and criminality at all levels of New York City’s jail operations and the First Deputy Executive Director of New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, leading investigations of police misconduct.

    In addition to her government positions, Joshi served as General Manager for the New York Office of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants and was a visiting scholar at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy. Joshi was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She holds a BA and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

    Appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water at the Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 20, Fox currently serves as the Acting Assistant Administer for Water.

    The EPA’s Office of Water works to ensure that drinking water is safe, wastewater is safely returned to the environment, and surface waters are properly managed and protected.

    Prior to joining EPA, Fox served as Chief Executive Officer for the US Water Alliance, where she established herself as a widely recognized national thought leader on complex water issues, from equitable water management to investing in our nation’s water infrastructure. Her work has helped address the most salient water issues facing the nation—including climate change, affordability, equity, governance, innovative finance, and the evolution of the One Water movement.

    Fox previously directed the policy and government affairs agenda for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which is responsible for providing 24/7 water, wastewater, and municipal power services to 2.6 million Bay Area residents.

    She also served as the Federal Policy Director at PolicyLink, where she coordinated the organization’s policy agenda on a wide range of issues, including infrastructure investment, transportation, sustainable communities, economic inclusion, and workforce development.

    Fox holds a BA from Columbia University and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley where she was a HUD Community Development Fellow.

  • Sam Schwartz Congratulates Meera Joshi on USDOT Appointment

    Sam Schwartz Congratulates Meera Joshi on USDOT Appointment

    NEW YORK (TIP): The entire Sam Schwartz team congratulated Meera Joshi on being appointed by President Biden as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. She will serve as the Acting Administrator until an Administrator is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Ms. Joshi will help lead a staff of more than a thousand in their vital mission of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities related to commercial trucks and buses.

    Prior to this appointment, Meera had been a Principal and New York General Manager at Sam Schwartz since early 2020. In this capacity, she spearheaded the office’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working with the MTA, NYCDOT, business improvement districts, and other actors across the region to ensure the safe movement of goods and people. She has been a leading advocate for harnessing data, regulation, and design to make just, sustainable transportation a cornerstone of the nation’s recovery.

    Meera previously served as Chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). There, she spearheaded novel regulations, resolving challenges brought on by the rapid growth of rideshare services while simultaneously enhancing passengers’ safe access to a wide range of new mobility. Under her tenure, New York became the first city in the nation to mandate the reporting of granular trip data from large app operators like Uber and Lyft. Much of this information is now publicly available and an invaluable asset for transportation planners.

     

    “While we are sad to see Meera leave us, we are tremendously proud and excited for her next chapter,” said Samuel I. Schwartz, PE, Founder and CEO of Sam Schwartz. “We asked her to join our firm because of her exemplary record of innovation, creativity, and dedication to transportation policies that serve the public good—values we all share. Without question, our country’s roadways will be made safer thanks to her leadership.”

    “Meera did an extraordinary job leading our team of professionals as they responded to formidable challenges over the past year,” said Michael A. Shamma, PE, President of Sam Schwartz. “Her experience at the intersection of transportation and technology has been a vital part of our efforts planning the future of safe, sustainable, equitable movement. The entire Sam Schwartz family will be cheering her on as she works with President Biden, Secretary-Designate Buttigieg, and the rest of the Administration to build back better.”

  • Sam Schwartz Congratulates Meera Joshi on USDOT Appointment 

    Sam Schwartz Congratulates Meera Joshi on USDOT Appointment 

    NEW YORK (TIP): The entire Sam Schwartz team congratulated Meera Joshi on being appointed by President Biden as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. She will serve as the Acting Administrator until an Administrator is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Ms. Joshi will help lead a staff of more than a thousand in their vital mission of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities related to commercial trucks and buses.

    Prior to this appointment, Meera had been a Principal and New York General Manager at Sam Schwartz since early 2020. In this capacity, she spearheaded the office’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working with the MTA, NYCDOT, business improvement districts, and other actors across the region to ensure the safe movement of goods and people. She has been a leading advocate for harnessing data, regulation, and design to make just, sustainable transportation a cornerstone of the nation’s recovery.

    Meera previously served as Chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). There, she spearheaded novel regulations, resolving challenges brought on by the rapid growth of rideshare services while simultaneously enhancing passengers’ safe access to a wide range of new mobility. Under her tenure, New York became the first city in the nation to mandate the reporting of granular trip data from large app operators like Uber and Lyft. Much of this information is now publicly available and an invaluable asset for transportation planners.

    “While we are sad to see Meera leave us, we are tremendously proud and excited for her next chapter,” said Samuel I. Schwartz, PE, Founder and CEO of Sam Schwartz. “We asked her to join our firm because of her exemplary record of innovation, creativity, and dedication to transportation policies that serve the public good—values we all share. Without question, our country’s roadways will be made safer thanks to her leadership.”

    “Meera did an extraordinary job leading our team of professionals as they responded to formidable challenges over the past year,” said Michael A. Shamma, PE, President of Sam Schwartz. “Her experience at the intersection of transportation and technology has been a vital part of our efforts planning the future of safe, sustainable, equitable movement. The entire Sam Schwartz family will be cheering her on as she works with President Biden, Secretary-Designate Buttigieg, and the rest of the Administration to build back better.”

  • Now people can request wheelchair accessible yellow or green taxicab anywhere in NYC

    Now people can request wheelchair accessible yellow or green taxicab anywhere in NYC

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Taxi and Limousine Commission on December 8 unanimously approved a package of rules that will create a framework for a city wheelchair accessible dispatch system that will allow people to request a wheelchair accessible yellow or green taxicab -or WAV- anywhere in the City of New York, and at the standard metered rate of fare. People will be able to request this service in multiple ways -from an easily downloaded app that we will announce in the near future, to texts, e-mails and phone calls. The service is expected to be getting underway in the early months of 2017.

    Accessible Dispatch Program began in 2012, with less than 240 wheelchair-accessible vehicles on the road. The successful program is currently only able to serve passengers requesting rides from Manhattan to any destination in the five boroughs. There are now more than 1,200 wheelchair-accessible medallion taxis moving the riding public, an increase of over 350% since the program’s inception, and almost 600 wheelchair accessible green cabs on the road.

    “Today’s vote was the culmination of tremendous effort, but it is really only the beginning,” said TLC Chair Meera Joshi. “We are anxious to continue the process of bringing this safe, convenient service of matching passengers with yellow and green cabs to New Yorkers and visitors alike, and hopeful that the creation of this never-before-available option will make a positive difference in people’s lives, as the current program has for so many.”

    The service will be available to users beginning in the spring of 2017. Prospective users will not need to reserve ahead of time and may “hail” a wheelchair-accessible yellow medallion taxicab by calling 311, the dispatch center, texting a request, or using the Accessible Dispatch smartphone app.