People on the Move: February 2024
2/13/2024
COLUMBUS, OH—Joanna M. Pinkerton, president/CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), has announced that she is to resign in May, following a six-year tenure. COTA’s successes under Pinkerton’s leadership include the establishment of the LinkUS mobility initiative, which seeks to better connect communities and create opportunities for a more equitable and sustainable region; reaching an agreement with TWU Local 208 that avoided a work stoppage and will help retain and recruit frontline workers; delivering innovative mobility options, services, and partnerships such as COTA//Plus, C-Pass, and the Educational Pass Program; and offering more affordable and equitable transit through fare payment capping and income assistance. Under Pinkerton’s leadership, COTA won APTA’s Outstanding Midsized Public Transportation System Achievement award in 2018 and 2020, and Ohio DOT’s transit system of the year award in 2022. Pinkerton has been recognized by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials as a Woman Who Moves the Nation. She serves as chair of Intelligent Transportation Systems of America’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee and is a member of the Transportation Research Center Executive Committee. For APTA, Pinkerton is co-chair of the Mobility Recovery & Restoration Task Force; is a member of the Public Transportation CEO Coordinating Council; and serves on the Bus & Paratransit CEOs, Bus Operations, and Mid-Size Operations committees.
In addition, COTA has named Nikki Brandon as its new chief human resources officer. Brandon has more than 30 years of experience working in the field. She will lead the development, management, and oversight of all personnel programs including recruitment, retention, training and development, organizational design, and employee and labor relations. Before joining COTA, Brandon was director of human resources for the City of Columbus. She has held various HR positions with the city since 1993.
WINTER GARDEN, FL—ABC Companies has appointed Brenda Wordelman as senior vice president of national accounts, to oversee activities for key customer relationships throughout the U.S. and Canada. Wordelman has more than 25 years of executive experience, including in industry relationships, marketing and communications, sales, and operations, with a particular focus on key accounts throughout North America including Canada.
CINCINNATI, OH—The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Metro) announces that Brad Mason has joined the agency as director of communications. He will oversee internal and external communications and implement strategies to enhance awareness of Metro’s initiatives and activities. Mason joins Metro following four years at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, where he most recently oversaw marketing and communications for BLINK, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, Taste of Cincinnati, and Asian Food Fest. Prior to joining the chamber, he served for 10 years at the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments in various communications roles.
VANCOUVER, WA—C-TRAN has appointed Annette Shaw to serve as chief operating officer. She will be responsible for the agency’s largest division, with oversight of fixed-route operations, paratransit, and The Current on-demand service. She will also oversee the agency’s safety and security department. Shaw most recently served at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), GA. Starting her career as a bus driver for MARTA, she also operated light and heavy rail, eventually holding the positions of rail supervisor, rail instructor, and safety operational officer. She then continued her career at TriMet, Portland, OR, as assistant manager of the operations command center, before returning to MARTA and serving as manager of investigations. Shaw is an Associate Instructor for the Transportation Safety Institute. For APTA, she serves on the Risk Management, Rail Transit, Rail Safety, and Bus Safety committees.
ITHACA, NY—Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) has named Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones as its new service development manager, responsible for planning and visioning service for the 25-route system. Rosenbloom-Jones most recently worked as a transit director for a Wisconsin transit agency, as a transportation specialist in the City of Bowie, MD, and as manager of scheduling for a Kentucky transit authority.
Merideth Stanton is TCAT’s new controller, overseeing all aspects of the agency’s finances, accounting, funding compliance, and purchasing. Her most recent position was senior accountant at a not-for profit in Waterloo, NY. She has also worked for other companies in key financial positions, including in financial forecasting, developing financial statements, and managing internal and external audits.
BATON ROUGE, LA—WSP has hired Shawn Wilson, PhD, as its national agency coordination leader for transportation and infrastructure. He will expand WSP’s network within the transportation and infrastructure industry and support communication efforts with state and federal governments across the U.S. Wilson served as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development from 2016 to 2023, where he oversaw more than $5.2 billion in construction projects, including the state’s first five discretionary grants that exceeded $250 million. Wilson also served as then Gov. John Bel Edwards’ policy leader and helped develop the framework for the state’s recurring vehicle sales tax initiative, valued at nearly $236 million annually. Wilson was elected as the first African American president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for 2021-2022. He also served as chair of the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee.
