Onyinye is a dynamic leader who has shaped the landscape of economic and regional development, transportation and urban security initiatives. Onyinye brings nearly 20 years of distinguished experience, having held key leadership roles recently as the Chief Operating Officer at the Houston Galveston Area Council where she oversaw Texas’s largest Economic Development Corporation, the nation’s largest Cooperative H-GACBUY and the H-GAC Energy Cooperative. She has also served in leadership roles at the New York City Department of Transportation, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Her expertise is vast, encompassing everything from operations, non-profit management, strategic planning and compliance to grant development, transportation planning, economic and community development. She has successfully led policy development, complex infrastructure projects, and multibillion-dollar emergency relief efforts, always prioritizing strategy, business and community impact.
Onyinye’s academic achievements include an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business where she served as the EMBA Chair of the Emerging Markets Institute, a master’s in corporate communications, and a Bachelor of Science. Recognized for her leadership, she was recently awarded Woman of the Year for the Woman of Transportation Seminar in 2024, an inaugural fellow of the NYU Transportation Emerging Fellowship, and has been named to 2018’s Georgia Trend, Mass Transit Magazine’s and Atlanta Young Government Leaders’ 40 Under 40 lists, and the Fort Worth Inc. 400 Most Influential People list.
