People News: CRC, UTA, MBTA
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Pictured, Left to Right: Richard Andreski and Sally Librera, Commuter Rail Coalition (Photographs Courtesy of CRC), and Patrick Preusser, Utah Transit Authority (UTA Photograph).
Richard Andreski and Sally Librera join the Commuter Rail Coalition (CRC) Board. Also, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) appoints Patrick Preusser as Chief Operating Officer; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Desiree Patrice earns COMTO-Boston 2024 Women Making Transportation History Award.
CRC
CRC members have elected Richard Andreski, President and CEO of Trinity Metro, and Sally Librera, Americas Transit and Rail Leader at AECOM, to At-Large posts on the Board of Directors.
Andreski runs is Trinity Metro, an owner and operator of two passenger rail lines, and a host railroad for Amtrak. He has 25 years of passenger rail experience with New Jersey Transit, Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and Trinity Metro, and has worked closely with Amtrak, MTA Metro-North Railroad, MTA Long Island Rail Road, and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. While at CTDOT, Andreski served as the state’s representative to the Northeast Corridor Commission, which included negotiating operating and capital cost-sharing agreements between Amtrak and other Northeast states pursuant to the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2008.
Librera has held roles across the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)—from running the New York City subway system and MTA Staten Island Railway to leading safety teams, contract and procurement negotiations, emergency response, maintenance operations, engineering divisions, and operating personnel. In her current role at AECOM, she has led the company’s engagement with the CRC, including serving on committees and contributing to the Commuter Rail Summit.
“Metra’s Jim Derwinski [CRC Immediate Past Chair] and his [CRC] nominating committee did a tremendous job of identifying candidates whose calibre of expertise will help further strengthen the CRC,” said CRC Board Chair Mike Noland (South Shore Line). “We expect Richard Andreski and Sally Librera to bring valuable insights and expertise to the Board, and aid in advancing commuter rail initiatives across the industry.”
“The CRC is a respected leadership and advocacy organization for the commuter rail industry,” Andreski said. ”I can see the difference CRC is making at a national policy level through its frequent visits to the Hill and robust engagement with top rail leaders. CRC has brought clarity and focus to the issues that matter most.”
“I have been impressed by the calibre and detail of the CRC activities and the degree to which they focus on matters directly applicable and helpful to the commuter rail industry, whether it be legislative proposals, funding strategies, enhanced dialogue with regulatory agencies, or broader communication within and beyond the rail community,” Librera said.
Andreski and Librera assume CRC Board seats recently vacated by MTA Metro-North Railroad President Cathy Rinaldi and Alstom Chief Commercial Officer Scott Sherin. Rinaldi and Sherin had both served two, two-year terms.
The CRC Board also includes Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard (Vice Chair); Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority General Manager and CEO Leslie Richards (Secretary); Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle; South Florida Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Dave Dech; TYLin SVP, Rail and Transit Sector Leader, Americas Joe Yesbeck (Treasurer); Icomera North America President Gabriel Lopez-Bernal; Aon Managing Director and Global Practice Leader, Rail and Transit Practice Otis Tolbert; and lawyer Kathryn (Pett) Holmes of Holmes & Associates.
UTA
UTA announced on social media the appointment of Patrick Preusser as Chief Operating Officer, succeeding Cherryl Beveridge, who will retire June 28. Preusser will oversee commuter and light rail, bus, special services, maintenance, and fleet engineering, which represent about 80% of UTA’s workforce.
A seasoned transit leader with nearly 30 years of experience across all transit modes in the federal, municipal, and private sectors, Preusser served most recently as Director of Rapid Transit in Honolulu and Executive Director of Transportation at Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon. He has also held management roles at the Saudi Railway Company, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Federal Railroad Administration. Preusser began his career as a Norfolk Southern locomotive engineer.
MBTA
MBTA Chief of Integrated Transit Programs Desiree Patrice has received the 2024 Women Making Transportation History Award from the Conference of Minority Transportation Official (COMTO) Boston Chapter, an association that promotes advancement and leadership opportunities in the transportation industry for minority professionals.
The COMTO-Boston Women Making Transportation History Award is given to “a distinguished woman who has made a profound contribution to the transportation industry,” according to the organization. “Patrice, with over two decades of construction and civil engineering expertise, was honored for her leadership of transformative programs to improve the MBTA’s Red, Orange, Green, and Mattapan lines, overcoming inherent challenges associated with historic infrastructure, and developing creative strategies to navigate complex issues,” according to the COMTO-Boston Chapter. “Patrice was recognized for her enduring dedication to public service, exceptional leadership, and impact within the Capital Transformation program at the MBTA, which has improved transportation in Boston while ensuring all are valued, respected, and part of an equitable and inclusive community.”
“This award amplifies The Power of Refusing to accept NO. ‘No, you can’t,’ or ‘NO, you don’t belong in this position, field, or at this table,’” Patrice said during the awards presentation earlier this month. “It also amplifies the power of ‘refusing to accept NO as my truth.’”
“Chief Desiree Patrice is an amazing leader and visionary in transportation,” said Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “She is an incredible asset to the MBTA who always centers her work around MBTA users. Her dedication and commitment to those users is commendable and this honor is well deserved.”
“I congratulate Desiree on receiving the Women Making Transportation History Award, which recognizes not only her remarkable achievements at the MBTA, but also her compassionate leadership, her commitment to equity, and her steadfast dedication to improving all aspects of our transit system,” added MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “Desiree has dedicated her multi-decade career to improving the T and ultimately the diverse communities that our transit system touches, leading a variety of programs aimed at upgrading historic infrastructure and meeting challenges head-on with creative strategies to get things done. I’m proud to celebrate Desiree’s achievements. Thank you, Desiree, for being a model public sector leader and for your many years of service here at the T.”
“My credo is that the best way to get ahead is to help others get ahead,” President of COMTO Boston Aboubacar Konate said. “Be that person for the next generation. So, I was thrilled that our COMTO Boston Chapter chose to honor and celebrate the career and achievements of Desiree Patrice, as she exemplifies this notion and serves as an extraordinary role model to attract and retain women from communities of color in the transportation industry.”
