Rebekah Scheinfeld

Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in January 2014 with the direction to continue the critical work of making sure Chicago has a strong, vibrant, accessible transportation network. Rebekah has a broad background in urban development issues, working in both the public and private sectors and in a variety of policy areas including transportation, infrastructure investment, housing, open space, and real estate. In her first year at CDOT, she has led the City’s key transportation initiatives, including an unprecedented amount of street repair and resurfacing, and major capital investments such as the Chicago Riverwalk, The 606 and Bloomingdale Trail, Navy Pier Flyover, two new Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) stations and improved bus service through the Central Loop. Rebekah was previously the Chief Planning Officer and a Senior Vice President at the CTA, where she handled the CTA’s strategic planning for major capital projects and new transit service. She is an attorney, having worked previously at Mayer Brown, representing public and private sector clients on major infrastructure and transportation projects. Rebekah also worked for East Lake Management & Development Corp. as a Senior Development Manager of mixed-income housing and for the New York City Parks Department as Director of Government Relations and Operations Coordinator. A Chicago native, she has a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and both her JD and MBA from Northwestern University.