Brian Tynan
Director of Government Relations
Government Affairs Department

What are the job elements you focus on the most—your primary responsibilities?

The Government Affairs Department is the industry’s representative on Capitol Hill and to the administration. As part of that representation, we can’t do anything without regular interaction with the APTA membership.

APTA develops its policy and legislative positions based on the needs and preferences of our public transit agencies, business members, and the broader membership. The development of positions comes through member involvement on APTA’s Legislative Committee, which my department manages.

In my position, I am responsible for the management of our day-to-day lobbying activities, building relationships with congressional offices, and educating staffers on the most important issues facing public transportation agencies.

When opportunities present themselves for the industry to provide testimony, we will often seek out APTA members who can best represent the industry’s viewpoint on any given issue. At other times, the best spokesperson is our president & CEO, Michael Melaniphy.

When working with congressional staff, we work hard to provide them with arguments that are compelling and likely to attract the attention of their member of Congress. We also listen to the staff, to understand what they are hearing and what issues are of greatest interest.

We cover many issues, ranging from budget and appropriations, tax and transportation, to communications, security, energy, and even patents.

In some ways, my job is to identify issues and communicate their potential impacts to our members before they happen, translate legislative activities and the politics surrounding them, and identify risks and opportunities for the industry. We send out Legislative Updates to inform the membership of all relevant developments in Congress.

Do you have direct contact with APTA members? If so, please talk about recent times you’ve helped out a member.

Everything we do depends on our constant interaction with the membership, whether it be the Legislative Committee discussing APTA’s recommendations for the next authorization bill or working with a subcommittee to develop positions. Even during the recent government shutdown, my job involved reaching out to members to help understand the on-the-ground impacts and to communicate those impacts to key staff on Capitol Hill.

While some APTA members have their own government affairs professionals, many rely on us to help them navigate federal politics and the legislative process.

What initiatives, projects, or programs have you worked on at APTA that you have taken particular pride in completing?

Our biggest current task is the work of the Authorization Task Force. We’re bringing people together on complicated issues and funding decisions that will reflect the industry’s position as we approach the next authorization bill. With funding as tight as it is—and the specific details of legislation often have a major impact on an agency’s operations—there are strong feelings about many of these topics.

APTA’s legislative and policy-making processes are among the most democratic among industry associations in Washington, DC. With the number and diversity of our members, coming together over important policy decisions can be quite a challenge. In the end, we all want public transportation to succeed and to get the resources it needs.

Working with the Authorization Task Force and the Legislative Committee has been extremely rewarding and we’ve made great progress. The challenge after that will be to make the case on Capitol Hill.

How did you “land” at APTA? How long have you worked here?

I got to know APTA while working on Capitol Hill for a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I  worked with members of the APTA staff on transit issues and, in particular, on the House Commuter Caucus, an early iteration of the current Congressional Public Transportation Caucus.

In 1999, I began working with a consulting firm as a federal legislative consultant for APTA, representing the association in that capacity for the next 10 years. In 2009, I had an opportunity to come on board.

Have you held other jobs in the public transportation industry (besides working at APTA)?

The House member for whom I worked was a strong supporter of public transportation. Also, as an independent federal lobbyist I worked on a variety of issues representing engineering firms and other clients who had an interest in public transportation and general infrastructure issues. It’s a challenging and rewarding field.

Could you tell us something about yourself that might surprise us?

I like to cook and I believe I’m pretty good at it. I like to experiment with food. It’s sometimes challenging to feed two kids while cooking something creative. They don’t always appreciate Daddy’s talents, but I find it to be a good outlet for creativity while undertaking a necessary task.

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