For “his consummate professionalism and his deep commitment to serving the people of New York,” according to the citation, Fordham Law alumnus Patrick J. Foye FCRH ’78, LAW ’81 was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree during the 2022 Fordham University Commencement ceremony on May 21.
Foye served as president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from 2017 to 2019 and then as its chairman and CEO from 2019 to 2021. His tenure at the MTA coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread lockdowns, during which time Foye was able to procure billions in federal funds to keep the MTA solvent. He now serves as CEO of ASTM North America, an infrastructure public-private partnership firm.
Fordham Law Professor Ian Weinstein, as Foye’s faculty sponsor, escorted Foye to the stage during the commencement procession, and Fordham Law Dean Matthew Diller read Foye’s citation during the ceremony.
“Patrick J. Foye is widely regarded for the integrity, fiscal pragmatism, and nonpartisan spirit he brought to his leadership of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority,” read Dean Diller. “He exemplifies the same traits that define his native city: bold and ambitious, decisive, and determined.”
Foye, the son of Irish immigrants, grew up in Queens and was the first in his family to attend college. He graduated cum laude from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1978 and then attended Fordham Law School, where he also served as associate editor for the Fordham Law Review.
After graduating, Foye worked in the private sector, including as managing partner of the Brussels, Budapest and Moscow offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and as executive vice president of Aimco, a real estate investment trust.
He began his public service career first as deputy chairman of the Long Island Power Authority and downstate chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation. In 2011, he became executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he navigated the agency’s response to Superstorm Sandy and led the $5 billion renovation of LaGuardia Airport before eventually taking on his leadership roles at the MTA.
Foye’s wife, Suzanne, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fordham, and two of the couple’s daughters also graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center.