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Executive Director's Report

Report to the Commission: July 23, 2025

Personnel

Retirements

  • Janielyn Bayona– Janielyn started in January 2024 as a Principal Financial Analyst/Accountant in the Budget & Financial Planning/Analysis section. Her last day with MTC was July 18.

Departures

  • Nalungo Conley – Nalungo started in August 2018 as an Administrative Director. Her last day with MTC was July 3 as a Section Director in the Administrative & Human Development section.
  • Kara Oberg – Kara started in June 2016 as a Bike Share Program Coordinator. Her last day with MTC was July 1 as a Planner/Analyst III in the Sustainable Mobility & Operations section.

Promotions & New Appointments

  • Jeff Gerbracht – Jeff transitioned from his current position as a Principal Program Coordinator to an Assistant Director in the Capital Delivery, Asset Management & Roadside Tolling section on July 7.
  • Alysha Nachtigall – Alysha transitioned from her current position as an Acting Assistant
    Director to an Assistant Director in the Sustainable Mobility and Operations section on July 21.

Updates

On June 27, the California Transportation Commission approved a dozen grants totaling more than $400 million to advance key mobility projects around the Bay Area. These awards, made through a trio of competitive grant programs established by the landmark 2017 Senate Bill 1 transportation financing package, include $73 million for the Highway 37 Sears Point-to-Mare Island Improve Project; a pair of grants totaling $100 million to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) for the ongoing second phase of its BART-to-Silicon Valley extension project; and two grants totaling $87 million to help the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) extend service from the newly opened Windsor station north to Healdsburg.

Three of MTC’s priority bills passed key milestones in the second house in early July: SB 63 (Wiener/Arreguin) which authorizes a regional transportation measure, AB 670 (Quirk-Silva) which allows housing preservation projects to count towards the regional housing needs allocation, and AB 697 (Wilson) related to State Route 37.

Chief Deputy Executive Director Alix Bockelman and I recently participated in the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Rail Conference. I gave a keynote speech at the opening session on the current state of high-speed and intercity passenger rail. Alix presented as part of the panel, “Transit as a Foundation of Economically Strong Communities.” The panelists reviewed places where rail investments have sparked housing development, commerce, vibrant local activity, and transit ridership.

MTC was proud to support the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s (IBTTA) global road safety campaign and Global Road Safety Week from June 23-27. The “Be Safe Together: Be the Highway Hero” campaign highlights the tolling industry’s commitment to ensuring that roads are safe for everyone. MTC’s commitment to safety includes the Bay Area Freeway Service Patrol, a fleet of roving tow trucks deployed on freeways and highways during peak travel times to detect and clear incidents, remove dangerous debris from the roadway, or help stranded drivers by providing a gallon of gas, providing a jumpstart or refilling a radiator. MTC has also adopted a Regional Safety/Vision Zero Policy, provides technical assistance to local jurisdictions to help make their roads safer for all users, and hosts the Bay Area Vision Zero Working Group. I will be moderating a panel, “Safeguarding Bridges,” at the IBTTA Maintenance, Engineering & Roadway Operations Workshop in Detroit on July 28. This panel discussion ties in directly with the Bay Area’s multi-day Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PAWSA) exercise sponsored by MTC at the Port of Oakland this past April.

Director of Financial Reporting and Operational Accounting Grace Martinez has been officially inducted as President-Elect of the Government Finance Officers Association at the 119th Annual GFOA Conference earlier this month. Congratulations, Grace.

The application deadline for the new MTC-ABAG Community Advisory Council has been extended to August 3, 2025. This Council’s 4-year term begins in January 2026 and brings together diverse community voices, including representatives of organizations in the following areas: labor, business, environment, transit advocacy, youth, civic organizations and affordable housing to advise on regional planning and policy decisions around housing, transportation, and environmental sustainability. Your constituents can learn more and apply at https://mtc.one/council — please help spread the word.

Save the Date: A Commission workshop is planned for October 22-23 at the Embassy Suites in Walnut Creek, located conveniently opposite the Pleasant Hill BART station. The workshop will follow our regularly scheduled Commission meeting at the Bay Area Metro Center.