Description

Leaders from NEORide — a council of governments representing 25 transit agencies across Midwestern and Western states — and its participating agencies discuss their approach to fostering regional collaboration through ambitious TransitTech projects. These projects include software for regional mobile ticketing and call centers ("EZFare" and "EZConnect"), both of which are connected through software and demand-responsive transit with Via. The panelists will address their goals for regional transit, the advantages of their multi-agency approach for procurement and implementation, and the results of their collaborations with agencies and software providers alike.

Panelists:

Becca Green, Chief Communications Officer - Rock Region METRO
Becca Green, APR, Rock Region METRO Chief Communications Officer, joined the organization in July 2015 and is responsible for strategic planning, public relations, collateral and content development, governmental affairs, media buying, website and social media management, community outreach and more. Prior to her current role, Green served six years as the director of marketing and communications at ACCESS, a Little Rock-based nonprofit serving individuals with learning and developmental disabilities. She managed several hospitality industry accounts and media relations for Gov. Mike Beebe’s inauguration as a public relations account executive for CJRW. Green served two years as director of marketing and public relations at Arkansas Repertory Theatre. She has been a member of the Public Relations Society of America since 2005 and served as president for the Arkansas chapter. She is a graduate of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXX.

Katherine Conrad, Director - NEORide
Katherine is currently the Director of NEORide. As such, she manages NEORide, a Council of Government, with 20 public transit agencies in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia and Arkansas. She focuses on project management, grant development, public relations and marketing and governance.
Before coming to OTRP she was the Director of Planning at the Portage Area Regional Transit Authority has worked in Transit for the last ten years in Planning and Marketing for two urban transit system in Ohio (also at Stark Area Regional Transit Authority). During this time, Ms. Conrad has increased funding for transportation by receiving millions in federal and state grants. In addition, Katherine led government and lobbying efforts on the state and national level. She has also been instrumental in her work for the Ohio Public Transit Association (OPTA), developing the first Ohio Loves Transit Day and Statewide Lobbying Day in Ohio.
Before coming to transit, Katherine worked at Burges & Burges the leading strategic planning and political consulting firm in the State of Ohio. She specialized in passing tax issues for transits across the state of Ohio. Katherine is a graduate of the University of Akron with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and an Undergraduate in Political Science.

Susan Gettum, Chief of Staff – Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority
Susan Gettum brings over 30 years of expertise in client relationship management and project management to her role as Chief of Staff of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA). A Toledo native, Susan returned to the area in September 2020 after building her career in high-end ecotourism management based out of the Boston and New York City areas. She has a history of making significant contributions by fostering positive customer experiences, improving processes, and building strong stakeholder and community connections.  In less than three years at TARTA, Susan has helped to oversee organizational changes beginning in her role as Customer Care Manager with a two-fold focus on managing customer service agents and enhancing the customer experience. An advocate and ambassador for TARTA, Susan developed the outreach program "Hub of Hope," providing a platform for local organizations to reach out to the public in need of their services through a presence in TARTA’s  downtown transit hub. Embarking in the Chief of Staff role in 2022, she has continued to manage important projects including Flex, TARTA’s on-demand microtransit service, and facilitates the agency’s Customer Advisory Committee. Susan represents TARTA on Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Government (TMACOG) Transportation Planning Committee and the Home for Everyone Continuum of Care Board.  Susan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Bowling Green State University. She is a 2021 graduate of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Institute of Leadership and Advocacy program and has been selected to continue her path in community involvement as a participant in the Leadership Toledo Signature Program 2023/2024.

Moderator:

Sarish Kasat, Partnerships Principal - Via Transportation, Inc.
Sarish is primarily focused on creating new relationships with cities, transit agencies, and private operators, companies, and universities. As a trusted advisor, he helps potential partners conceptualize and deploy new and innovative ways to provide mobility to their communities, all the way from brainstorming ideas to launching new services. He collaborates with internal, cross-functional teams to scope each opportunity and oversees all aspects required to create successful, long-term strategic partnerships.Prior to Via, Sarish has led global business and channel partnership development for companies across industries, including management consulting, education technology, and finance. Sarish holds a B.A. in Economics from Vanderbilt University, with focuses in Financial Economics and Corporate Strategy. He lives and works in Chicago, focusing on developing Via’s partnerships across the central U.S.