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APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Jeanne Krieg!

Jeanne Krieg
Chief Executive Officer
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority
Antioch, CA
Member, APTA Executive Committee; Co-Chair, Procurement Steering Committee; Member, Legislative and Bus and Paratransit CEOs committees; Leadership APTA Class of 1998

Please describe your agency’s scope.
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (ECCTA) was formed in 1977 under a Joint Powers Agreement to provide public transportation to a 225-square-mile area that includes four cities and unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County in California. It is 40 miles east of San Francisco, has a population of 300,000, and is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors. ECCTA operates under the name “Tri Delta ­Transit” and contracts with a private company, First Transit, to operate buses. Tri Delta Transit employs the administrative and maintenance staffs. We view our ­contractual relationship with First Transit as a partnership and work together to achieve our agency’s goals.

With 220 employees, Tri Delta Transit is one of the largest employers in eastern Contra Costa County. We operate 365 days a year using a fleet of 62 fixed route and 30 paratransit vehicles. Fiscal year 2014 broke all ridership records in the 37-year history of the agency; we provided nearly 3 million passenger trips.

How long have you worked in the public ­transportation industry?
I started in January 1991.

How long have you been an APTA member?
I became active after attending my first meeting in Austin in April 1991.

What drew you to a career in public transportation?
My educational background is marketing and ­business administration. Prior to adopting public transportation as my career, I worked my way through the marketing and sales ranks in a few ­different industries, holding positions in outside and inside sales as well as marketing. The position I held just prior to embracing public transportation as my career was the national sales manager for a textbook publisher. This meant I traveled most of the time.

When I spotted a classified ad for a marketing position that was five miles from my house, I jumped at the chance to stop traveling. I was not familiar with public transportation so before my interview, I rode every route, attended board meetings, and talked to passengers. During the interview preparation process, I developed an enthusiasm about the industry that remains with me 23 years later. In 1995, through a series of events and being in the right place at the right time, I became the CEO.

What have you found to be the most valuable APTA benefit or resource?
There are three equally valuable resources I depend on:

The APTA staff. Without exception, they are helpful, knowledgeable, and always available—which is amazing since I am in a time zone three hours away from the APTA office. Whenever I have a question, need information, or just want to bounce ideas off someone, I can always depend on the hardworking, energetic, and eager APTA staff. It’s like having a whole secret staff of my own!

The networking. I learn a great deal from my colleagues and marvel at the willingness to share information in this industry. My genuine—and sometimes annoying—curiosity about every facet of every part of our industry is always met with openness, collaboration, and enthusiasm. There are many brilliant people in our industry who are not afraid to take chances. Networking with these folks is invigorating.

The Legislative Updates. The updates keep me informed and give me the words I need to keep my board members up-to-date.

What do you like most about your job?
I look forward to going to work every single day because of the dedicated, enthusiastic, and innovative people I work with. The entire team at Tri Delta Transit shares the vision to provide superior customer service. The result is a safe, reliable, efficient transit system that is a vital part of our community. Additionally, being with a small agency means I have the pleasure of getting involved in nearly every aspect of the operation, which is just plain fun as we grow and evolve.

What is unique about your agency? What would readers be surprised to learn?
Tri Delta Transit is a certified Green Business. The Board of Directors and all employees  are engaged  in making Tri Delta Transit as environmentally sustainable as possible. The protection of the environment is one of our most important responsibilities.

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