New York City Transit President Richard Davey is one of two candidates being considered to lead the Massachusetts Port Authority, known as Massport, officials said.

A screening committee recommended Davey and Eulois Cleckley, the director and CEO of the Department of Transportation and Public Works for Miami-Dade County in Florida, as finalists to become Massport’s next CEO, the agency said in a news release.

The committe chose them from 100 potential candidates screened since the search started in January to helm the agency that oversees Boston’s Logan airport and the city’s ports. 

Massport oversees Massachusetts’ airports and maritime terminals. Davey, who hails from the state, previously served as secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and chair of the board of Massport, as well as the head of the MBTA, which is the state’s public transit system.

Speculation that Davey could be headed back to Massachusetts began with a social media post from a former statehouse reporter at the Boston Globe over the weekend.

Asked about the post at an unrelated news conference on Tuesday, Davey said it was “not true.”

“I am lucky enough to have this job which I enjoy very much, and I do get calls from time to time, because I’ve got a great team that makes me look good, so, and I tell them that often,” he said. “I mean, I can’t speculate on what the board does. I chaired the board 10 years ago. I could tell you what they did 10 years ago. I do not know what they’re doing this week, last week or next month.”

On Thursday, however, Davey acknowledged in a statement that he had been recommend for the post.

"I very much appreciate that I have been recommended to the MassPort board as a finalist to be their next CEO, an amazing opportunity in my hometown. However, serving as President of New York City Transit — working every day for our six million customers and 47,000 transit employees with critical and consistent support from Governor [Kathy] Hochul and MTA Chair [Janno] Lieber — is a privilege and one of the best jobs in the transit world,” he wrote. “I will continue to push forward to deliver faster, cleaner, and safer service for subway and bus customers every day I serve in this role."

In its news release, Massport said its board of directors “will make a final decision on the next Massport CEO at a later special board meeting,” without specifying when the meeting would happen.

If Davey leaves his post at New York City Transit, it would mean the agency will have had at least six presidents in 10 years. Davey was tapped to replace Andy Byford, who was pushed out in 2020 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

There were two interim presidents before Davey was selected just over two years ago.

When asked about Davey's potential departure at an unrelated press conference Thursday, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber called him a “great leader," saying he understood why the move might be appealing to him. 

“I’m a New York guy, and, you know, I went to work in the Clinton administration in Washington and I raced home as fast as my legs could carry me to New York, because this is my home, this is where I wanted to be,” Lieber said. “So I’m very sympathetic to the fact that Rich has an opportunity that may be attractive in his hometown.”

The Massport board is expected to hold a special session soon to deliberate and vote on the two candidates to become the agency's next CEO.