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Mayor de Blasio Nominates Jeffrey D. Roth as Chair and Commissioner of the Taxi and Limousine Commission

June 18, 2019

NEW YORK—Mayor de Blasio today nominated Jeffrey D. Roth as the new Chair and Commissioner of the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). As Chair, Roth would bring his extensive experience to bear to fight for better wages for drivers and for a taxi and limo fleet that serves all New Yorkers fairly. Roth’s nomination will be submitted to the Council this month for its advice and consent, as required by the City Charter.

“I am thrilled to nominate Jeff to head the Taxi and Limousine Commission,” said Mayor de Blasio. “His depth of experience in city government will serve New Yorkers well as we continue to root out practices that prey on medallion owners and help hardworking drivers feed their families. I look forward to his help as we grow our wheelchair accessible fleet and expand efforts to combat discrimination and service refusals more than ever before.”

“I am honored to be nominated to lead the TLC, which regulates such an integral component of this City’s transportation network” said Deputy Commissioner Jeff Roth of the Department of Veterans’ Services. “I look forward to working to fulfill the Mayor’s vision for improving the health and vitality of this industry; and working to protect the drivers, passengers, and visitors of NYC who rely on these services every day.”

“The TLC couldn’t ask for a better Commissioner than Jeffrey Roth,” said Commissioner Loree Sutton of the Department of Veterans’ Services. “I have had the true privilege of working alongside Jeff for the past three years as we built DVS from the ground up. His proven leadership, intellectual acumen, and unflagging commitment to improving the lives of those whom we are honored to serve are qualities that will benefit both the public servants working at TLC as well as the millions of New Yorkers who rely on TLC-regulated services. I salute Jeff’s extraordinary contributions as my Deputy, and wish him all the best as he continues his career in public service as Commissioner.”

"Jeffrey Roth has demonstrated outstanding administrative abilities; and he possesses an in depth knowledge of the taxi industry. He is a good choice for the position of TLC Commissioner," said Council Member Karen Koslowitz, Chair of the Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Elections.

"Jeff has been a critical ally for our service people. Whether leading at FDNY, or more recently with Veteran's Services, his commitment to administrative excellence has been unimpeachable. My hope is that his steady hand will empower the TLC to improve the lives of everyday New Yorkers," said Council Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo.

About Jeffrey D. Roth

Jeffrey D. Roth brings a wealth of experience in City government to his new role and has led several projects and initiatives to build operational, data and technology capacity in various organizations. He was previously the Deputy Commissioner for Policy and External Affairs at the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). There, he oversaw policy formation and data analytics for the TLC, which regulates a historically high number of vehicles and drivers; over 80,000 vehicles driven by approximately 150,000 licensees, transporting nearly a million New Yorkers and visitors every day.

Jeff is departing from his role as the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Veterans’ Services. There, he was responsible for overseeing the administrative, operational, programmatic and external affairs operations for the agency. Specifically, he monitored and advised on strategic planning of all DVS programming, overseeing the development and implementation of VetConnectNYC, and establishing positive relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers within City government. In this role, Roth was recognized in City and State in July 2016 as a "Veteran Still Serving to Improve New York.”

Prior to joining DVS, Jeff served as Assistant Commissioner at the FDNY. In that role, he was responsible for the Risk-Based Inspection System, a multi-phase project that enabled the Department to identify buildings most at risk for fire and prioritize them for inspections. This work was noted in Crain's New York Business, which recognized Roth as a member of its "Class of 2014 Forty Under Forty," its annual list of the most talented, driven and dynamic professionals under the age of 40 working in New York City.

Jeff also serves in the New York Army National Guard as the 42nd Infantry Division Fire Support Coordinator holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served in 2004 in Sinai, Egypt as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), an organization charged with maintaining the peace protocols between Egypt and Israel, and in 2012 during Superstorm Sandy in New York City.

He holds a Master's degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University. He resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn.



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