Release Date: September 4,2018
METRO RTA announces contract negotiations with final pick for executive director.
METRO has selected Dawn Distler to become its next executive director. METRO has entered negotiations with Distler to finalize her employment, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 24.
Distler was one of four candidates who made it to the final round of interviews. She is currently the director of transit at Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her accomplishments include leading KAT in its effort to become the 2017 Outstanding System of the Year. KAT was also awarded the 2018 APTA Gold Award for Safety and Security.
“We’re confident Dawn is the right person at the right time for METRO RTA. She comes with over 30 years of transit experience and is highly regarded in the transit industry.
Having started her transit career as a METRO bus operator, Dawn is a proven leader with a deep familiarization of our community and transit system. Our board is eager to continue METRO’s success with Dawn as our leader,” said Robert DeJournett, METRO’s board president.
METRO has been working in conjunction with KL2 Connects to recruit and place a new executive director for the company.
“I’m going back to my roots and I couldn’t be happier,” Distler said. “METRO is where I developed my passion for public transit; now, I have the privilege of returning to lead the METRO team in growing and furthering its mission to best serve the people of Summit County. I feel lucky to rejoin such a talented and hard working team.”
METRO is the public transportation provider in Summit County. METRO enhances the quality of life for our community by providing innovative transportation solutions that are safe, dependable, cost-effective and customer focused, now and into the future.