Maria Cino

Maria Cino (born April 19, 1957) is an American public servant and political operative of the Republican Party. She served in the United States Department of Commerce and served as acting United States Secretary of Transportation during the George W. Bush administration. Early life Cino was born in Buffalo, New York on April 19, 1957. She grew up in Buffalo in an "Italian Catholic Democratic union household". Cino is a graduate of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. Career Cino served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Bill Paxon. From 1993 to 1997, Cino served as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), managing the organization's strategy, budget and daily operations. She helped lead the Republican Party to congressional victories in the 1994 election cycle.