Times Herald-Record reports, “Veronique ‘Ronnie’ Hakim will serve as interim executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority until a seven-person committee [link added] appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo conducts a search for a new chairman and CEO for the agency. Hakim returned to the MTA in December 2015 as president of New York City Transit after spending 18 months as executive director of NJ Transit and four years as executive director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. A lawyer, she had previously served in various counsel positions within the MTA for 23 years.” The report adds that Cuomo named MTA board vice chairman Fernando Ferrer to serve as acting chairman during the search for a replacement for Tom Prendergast, who retired as chairman and CEO yesterday, January 31.