caption birth_place image_size birth_date image article_title name
mortimer l. downey , u.s. deputy secretary of transportation springfield , massachusetts thumb 9 august 1936 file : downey.jpg mortimer l. downey
 mortimer leo downey , iii
mortimer l. downey

mortimer leo downey , iii -lrb- born august 9 , 1936 in springfield , massachusetts -rrb- was the u.s. deputy secretary of transportation from 1993 to 2001 , making him the longest-serving person to ever hold the post .
downey was originally appointed to the position at the beginning of the clinton administration , and additionally served as acting secretary of transportation for the first four days of the bush administration , from january 21 , 2001 to january 24 , 2001 .
prior to his service as deputy secretary of transportation , he was executive director and chief financial officer of the new york metropolitan transportation authority -lrb- mta -rrb- .
during the carter administration , from 1977 to 1981 , downey served in the department of transportation as assistant secretary for budget and programs .
prior to that appointment , downey was the first transportation program analyst for the u.s. house of representatives committee on the budget .
he also held various positions at the port authority of new york and new jersey .
he was on the obama transition team , and the subject of speculation as a possible secretary of transportation in the obama administration .
he joined wmata 's board of directors in january , 2010 .
an alumnus of phillips academy in andover , ma , downey graduated magna cum laude from yale university in 1958 , and received a master 's of public administration from new york university in 1966 .
he served in the u.s. coast guard reserve , attaining the rank of lieutenant commander .
following completion of his service as deputy secretary of transportation in 2001 , downey became a transportation consultant .
