New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed Tom Foley as the acting commissioner the city’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC).
Jamie Torres-Springer, who has served in the role since March, will depart the agency on Nov. 12.
Foley, a 23-year veteran of DDC who helped lead the post 9/11 cleanup effort and has been integral the agency’s COVID-19 response, has served as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner for Public Buildings since 2017.
Torres-Springer is leaving the agency to become the president of construction and development at the MTA.
“Tom Foley has delivered decades of tireless leadership to our city – including in some of our darkest hours,” de Blasio said in an Oct. 28 statement. “His expertise and creativity make him the perfect choice to lead this agency as it fuels our city’s recovery.
“Tom will build on Commissioner Torres-Springer’s record of success, and I’m looking forward to seeing him manage the exciting projects this city needs.”
“I’m very excited to lead a group of superior designers and project managers as we tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the City,” Foley said. “DDC already has the great people – my goal is to support them any way I can so they can do the best job for the people of New York.”
“Tom Foley is a tremendous professional who gets results, who knows how the agency works down to the finest details and who has the full respect of the staff,” Torres-Springer said. “Leading DDC has been the honor of my professional career and I am heartened to know that Tom Foley will take the reins.”
Foley received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College and is a licensed professional engineer. He is also a Certified Construction Manager (CCM) and an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). Foley joined the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as a Resident Engineer in 1992, supervising capital water and sewer projects and working with DEP’s Bluebelt Unit on streambank remediation and erosion and sediment control.
