Matt Driscoll

The Honorable Matthew J.  Driscoll served the people of Syracuse, New York, as their 52nd Mayor from 2001 to 2009. While Mayor of Syracuse, the voters saw their property values rise and crime rates fall. He appointed the city’s first black police chief, energized urban revitalization and public reclamation efforts, restored government accountability, and led the effort for the City of Syracuse to offer the nation’s first free college tuition program for all its students.

In 2010, He continued his public service as President of the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp, overseeing a billion-and-a-half-dollar annual budget to administer the Federal State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) for Clean Water and Drinking Water projects across NYS.  He was appointed Commissioner of NYSDOT in 2015 and charged with coordinating and developing a comprehensive transportation policy for the operation of facilities and services for highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways, and aviation. He was then appointed Executive of the New York State Thruway Authority, one of the nation’s largest toll roads. Finally, Matt became the Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority, which operates and maintains one of the nation's longest toll roads.  He implemented the state’s first all-electronic cashless tolling system while overseeing the complete renovations of 27 service plazas across the system, which helped improve the daily lives of millions of New Yorkers.

Matt, the son and brother of firefighters, started his career in public service on the Syracuse Common Council and rose to President.  He is a small business owner and the father of three grown children.  He and his wife Patti have been married for 40 years and live in Onondaga County.