Volunteer

3 openings on LTD board of directors: Governor Kate Brown seeks interested leaders to apply by July 15

By Rob Zako
July 7, 2022

By Friday, July 15, Oregon Governor Kate Brown is seeking candidates to fill three positions on the Lane Transit District board of directors expiring in December 2022: Subdistrict 3 (Don Nordin), Subdistrict 4 (Emily Secord), and Subdistrict 6 (Caitlin Vargas).

To successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities facing LTD, BEST urges the Governor to appoint community leaders with oversight experience and committed to serving the public interest.

Subdistrict Map. Source: Lane Transit District

The pandemic has turned public transportation agencies across America upside down. Social distancing requirements and more people staying at home have reduced ridership. Changing travel patterns have forced transit agencies to rethink their routes and schedules. A tight labor market has made it difficult to recruit and retain sufficient bus drivers.

Even before the pandemic, emerging transportation technologies were forcing changes in public transportation. Ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber, car-sharing services such as Zipcar, e-bikes and e-scooters, shared bikes, and other new options are competing with public transportation as alternatives to driving your own car.

Moreover, concerns around equity and climate change have been driving transit agencies to think differently.

In addition to these nationwide disruptions to public transportation, our own Lane Transit District is in a period of transition.

Last summer, general manager Aurora “A.J.” Jackson left for the private sector. Deputy general manager Mark Johnson has put off his planned retirement to serve as interim general manager. In late May, LTD offered the general manager position to Jameson Auten, the Deputy General Manager with the Kansas City Area Transit Authority, but he withdrew from consideration. LTD is now reopening its search for a new general manager.

Last year, board members Steven Yett and Joshua Skov were replaced by Gino Grimaldi and Pete Knox, respectively.

Now board member Emily Secord has stepped down. And the terms of board members Don Nordin and Caitlin Vargas expire at the end of this year.

Just this week, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that she is seeking candidates to fill three positions on the Lane Transit District board of directors expiring in December 2022.

To successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities facing LTD, BEST urges the Governor to appoint community leaders with oversight experience and committed to serving the public interest.

To be eligible, a candidate must reside in one of the subdistricts with expiring terms:

  • Subdistrict 3 (Don Nordin) includes southeast Eugene, Creswell, Cottage Grove, and Lowell.
  • Subdistrict 4 (Emily Secord) includes the River Road neighborhood, Santa Clara east of River Road, the Ferry Street area generally west of Coburg Road, and the City of Coburg and surrounding areas.
  • Subdistrict 6 (Caitlin Vargas) includes the Bethel/Danebo neighborhood, Santa Clara west of River Road, and Junction City and surrounding areas.

To determine if someone is eligible, enter their home address into the search box of this interactive Google Map:

Subdistrict Map

Learn more from LTD:

Qualifications, Duties, and Process for Appointment

Apply to the Office of Governor Kate Brown:

Interest Form

Governor Brown is asking candidates to express their interest by Friday, July 15.

By late August, we expect Governor Brown will appoint her preferred candidates for the three openings.

By late September, we expect the Oregon Senate will confirm her appointees.

The new board member for Subdistrict 4 (Emily Secord) will then begin serving immediately; the new board members for for Subdistrict 3 (Don Nordin) and Subdistrict 6 (Caitlin Vargas) are not expected to begin serving until January 2023.

All three openings are for 4-year terms.

Helpful contacts

If you have questions about LTD, serving on the board of directors, or the application process, these people might be able to help:

See also

Other BEST News stories about Lane Transit District:

Further reading

Local stories about Lane Transit District:

National stories about changes to public transportation:

External links

Resources for applying to be appointed to the LTD board of directors:

See other posts concerning