Maria Cino

Maria Cino has over two decades of experience in senior level positions in the executive and legislative branches of government, as well as the private sector. Cino’s experience includes managing and leading national and international field-based organizations, developing and adhering to complex budgets, setting short-term and long-term strategic goals, building coalitions, and developing, motivating and mentoring staff.

On March 1, 2007, Cino was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the 2008 Republican National Convention held in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. She organized and produced the historic quadrennial convention. Cino managed a $125 million budget and built the infrastructure for a four day event which supported the needs of 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, party official’s, volunteers, press and visitors. The Associated Press called the 2008 Republican National Convention, “a model of efficiency and organization.”

Cino has been confirmed twice by the U.S. Senate. She served as Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) from May 2005 through March 2007. During that time she also served as the Acting Secretary of Transportation.  As DOT’s Chief Operating Officer, Cino was responsible for the day-to-day management of a $61 billion budget, 10 modal administrations and approximately 60,000 employees.

While Deputy Secretary, Cino developed and managed the National Strategy to Reduce Transportation Congestion, a six-point plan which included Congestion Pricing and Public Private Partnerships. She also served on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, created by Congress to make recommendations on revenue and policy for future surface transportation bills.

From 2001 through 2003, Cino served as Assistant Secretary and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Department of Commerce. In this capacity, she managed a worldwide organization responsible for connecting small and medium-sized businesses with export opportunities overseas. Cino’s portfolio included overseeing an annual budget of $200 million and supervising 1,700 employees at 105 domestic offices and 162 international offices in 85 countries.

In addition to government service, Cino’s political experience includes a number of senior-level strategic positions to round out her extensive and broad-based network of relationships across federal, state and local government. Those positions include Deputy Chairman of the Republican National Committee (2003-2004), Deputy Chairman for Political and Congressional Relations of the Republican National Committee (2000) and National Political Director for Bush for President Committee (1999-2000). Cino also served as Executive Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee where she oversaw the 1994 and 1996 historic victories giving the U.S. House Republicans a majority for the first time in 40 years.

Cino is a native of Buffalo, New York and a graduate of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia.