The vice president of intergovernmental and community relations for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City will present a free public lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, in Carnegie Cinema as part of Black History Month activities in the College of Communications.
James H. Harding Jr., who oversees customer relations for the organization that serves seven million riders every day, has worked from the MTA for more than a decade. A native New Yorker who was born and raised in Harlem, Harding also interacts with community boards and elected officials throughout the service area for the organization that carries more than two billion riders each year and operates on an annual budget of $11 billion.
Prior to his work in mass transit, Harding served as New York state’s director of legislative affairs. Before that, he crafted a long career in state and New York City government, including a number of senior-level management positions. Earlier in his career, he worked in the White House as a member of the advance staff for then-First Lady Roslyn Carter.
Harding’s lecture and accompanying events are coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Affairs in the College of Communications.