May 23, 2023 - Transit

Bibb appoints RTA riders to RTA board

Sam Allard

Members of Cleveland RTA leadership pose for a photo — From left to right: RTA chief executive India Birdsong Terry, Calley Mersman, RTA board chair Charles Lucas, Jeff Sleasman, RTA deputy GM Rajan Gautam. Photo: Courtesy of RTA

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) last week formally welcomed two new Justin Bibb appointees to its board of trustees.

Driving the news: Calley Mersman and Jeff Sleasman replaced outgoing board members Valarie McCall and Luz Pellot, both of whom had been appointed by former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.

Mersman is the city's senior strategist for transit and mobility.
Sleasman is a startup founder and a senior director at the Fund for our Economic Future.
Both regularly use public transit.

By the numbers: Of the 10 RTA trustees, four are appointed by the Cleveland mayor, three are appointed by the Cuyahoga County executive, and three are appointed by the region's mayors and city managers association.

The bottom line: Bibb has made good on a promise to appoint RTA riders to the RTA board, something Clevelanders for Public Transit has urged for years.

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Bibb appoints RTA riders to RTA board

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