E. Virgil Conway, Thruway Board of Directors

E. Virgil Conway was first confirmed by the New York State Senate as a member of the Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation Boards in December 2006. His first term expired on January 1, 2008. Mr. Conway was reconfirmed by the New York State Senate on June 18, 2008; his current term will expire on January 1, 2017.

A financial consultant and corporate director for more than 50 years, Mr. Conway had served most recently as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The MTA serves as the umbrella organization for the various agencies that operate the public transportation systems in the 14-county metropolitan New York area.

Prior to serving as MTA’s Chairman, Mr. Conway served as the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council Chairman from 1992-1995; from 1968-1988, Mr. Conway served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Director of The Seaman’s Bank for Savings, PSB.

Mr. Conway received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and his LLB from Yale University Law School in New Haven, Connecticut. He resides in Bronxville, New York with his wife, Elaine.

Richard N. Simberg, Thruway Authority Board of Directors

Richard N. Simberg was nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the New York State Senate as a member of the Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation Boards on June 3, 2009. His term will expire on September 14, 2017.

Mr. Simberg’s extensive experience in transportation and bridge operations, capital construction and maintenance throughout New York State will greatly benefit the Authority/Corporation.

Prior to retirement, Mr. Simberg was Assistant Commissioner for Engineering and Chief Engineer at the New York State Department of Transportation; responsible for all engineering activities throughout New York State for the 12,000-employee department, its consultants and contractors.  He assumed the position to strengthen the State’s bridge safety assurance program, overseeing the development and implementation of a statewide bridge reconstruction priority system and maintained design and reconstruction supervision of long span bridges throughout the State, including the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges.  Since retirement, Mr. Simberg has remained active in engineering education and professional ethics, and has consulted with the City of Alexandria, Virginia, on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Mr. Simberg received a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Clarkson University and a Master of Civil Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

He resides in Oneida, New York.

Brandon R. Sall, Thruway Board of Directors

Brandon R. Sall was nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the New York State Senate as a member of the Thruway Authority Canal Corporation Board in June 2008. Mr. Sall will serve in a term that expires on January 1, 2014.

Mr. Sall, a partner at Schuman Sall & Geist (White Plains, NY), Schuman & Sall (White Plains, NY), and Gellert & Rodner (White Plains, NY), specializes in real estate law, trusts and estates, tax certiorari, litigation, and transactional work representing numerous businesses and individual parties.

Mr. Sall’s vast experience with real estate law and knowledge of the process involved with land transactions will benefit the Authority/Corporation during complex real property negotiations, as well as land sales and leases.

With more than 22 years of experience, prior to becoming partner at the abovementioned law firms, Mr. Sall has practiced law at the Law Offices of Brandon R. Sall (1991-1992), Rothschild, Esposito, Himmelfarb, Sher & Pearl (1988-1990), and Jacobs, Sieratski & Zinns (1986-1988).

Admitted to the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Florida Bars, Mr. Sall is also a member of the New York State Bar Association and has lectured on estate administration for the New York State Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education program.

Mr. Sall received his B.B.A from the University of Miami in Miami, Florida, and attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, New York. He resides in Rye, New York.

Donna J. Luh, Thruway Board of Directors

Donna J. Luh was nominated by the Governor, and confirmed by the New York State Senate as a member of the Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation Boards in June 2008. Ms. Luh will serve in a term that expires on June 22, 2017.

Ms. Luh’s extensive experience in budget analysis, planning and community affairs will greatly benefit the Authority/Corporation.

Ms. Luh is currently the owner of Luh Consulting Services, an organization that serves as liaison between the public and private sector. Luh Consulting Services provides public participation facilitation, project coordination, governmental affairs, community relations and a host of other client services.

Prior to founding Luh Consulting, Ms. Luh served as the Airport Project Coordinator for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority in Buffalo, New York, from 1989-1996.

Additionally, she is the co-creator of the successful Peer Review Group of airport executives from across the nation. The Peer Review Group has been featured in a number of aviation trade magazines.

Ms. Luh also serves on the Board of Directors of the Cheektowaga Economic Development Corporation.

Ms. Luh received her Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science in Education Administration from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. She resides in Depew, New York. She has two adult sons.

J. Donald Rice Jr., Thruway Board of Directors

Don Rice was nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the New York State Senate as a member of the Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation Boards in May 2010. His term will expire on June 13, 2018.

Mr. Rice is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rice Financial Products Company, a New York City-based full service municipal investment banking firm. Rice Financial Products Company is one of the fastest growing underwriters of municipal bonds nationwide.

Mr. Rice’s career began as an engineer at General Motors before joining the bond business at Merrill Lynch, where he focused on applying taxable fixed income interest rate swap concepts to the municipal markets.

Mr. Rice then formed Rice Financial in 1993. Rice Financial provides services to municipalities and not-for-profit institutions in four areas: debt structuring and underwriting; municipal bond sales and trading; taxable fixed income investing; and derivative products.

As a municipal bond underwriter, Mr. Rice established a reputation for creative problem solving. The root of Rice Financial’s success has been its ability to attract, retain and develop some of the most skilled professionals in municipal investment banking.

Mr. Rice has been honored for his work over the years. He was chosen as Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Association of Securities Professionals in 2002.

Mr. Rice received an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in engineering with honors from Kettering University, where he currently serves on the University’s Board of Trustees. He also serves on the Boards of United Neighborhood Houses and New York City’s Administration for Children Services Head Start Program.

José Holguín-Veras, Ph.D., P.E., Thruway Board of Directors

Dr. Holguín-Veras was nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the New York State Senate as a member of the Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation Boards in May 2010. His term will expire on December 12, 2018.

Dr. Holguín-Veras is a Professor and Director of the Center for Infrastructure, Transportation, and the Environment at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He joined Rensselaer in July 2002. Dr. Holguín-Veras has also been in the faculty of the City College of New York (1997-2002), and the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California (1996-1997).

He has extensive professional experience including the analysis of the intermodal alternatives for the trans-isthmian corridor that runs parallel to the Panama Canal. He has been consultant in transportation planning, modeling, and economics for international companies and financial institutions, including: The World Bank, The United Nations, The Inter-American Development Bank, among many others.

Dr. Holguín-Veras’s leadership positions at key international research organizations include: Vice President for logistics of the Pan-American Conferences of Traffic and Transportation Engineering; elected member of the Council for the Association for European Transport; member of the International Organizing Committee of the City Logistics Conferences; member of three technical committees and invitational Task Forces on freight modeling at the Transportation Research Board.

In addition to authoring dozens of articles on transportation modeling and economics, Dr. Holguín-Veras received several awards: the Milton Pikarsky Memorial Award from the Council of University Transportation Centers (1996); the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (2001); and The School of Engineering Excellence in Research Award (2007).

Dr. Holguín-Veras received a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering from Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo; master’s of science degree in Transportation from Universidad Central de Venezuala; and a doctoral degree in transportation from University of Texas at Austin.

All Board members, including the Chairman, are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the State Senate. The members of the Board receive no salary in connection with the performance of their duties. Vacancies in the Board occurring other than by expiration of the term are filled for the unexpired term in the same manner. Pursuant to the Public Officers Law, members of the Board whose terms have expired continue to serve until a successor is appointed and qualified.