Michele Garone-Gersten

The proudest moment of my 38-year career at the Port Authority (1969-2007) was receiving The Executive Director’s Award of Achievement at the 1993 Medal Awards ceremony.

In 1993, the Tunnels Bridges and Terminals Department, formerly known as the Interstate Transportation Department, initiated a new agency-wide $1.7 million commuter benefit program for certain eligible employees, entitled the Transitchek, Metrocard, and PATH Quickcard Program.

It was my responsibility to effectively and efficiently establish, coordinate, and administer this program in a 6-week period to all department administrative coordinators, who in turn distributed the quarterly allowance to eligible staff.