Jay M. Fox
Executive Director, Utah Transit Authority


Jay FoxJay leads the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), a multi-modal public transportation agency spanning more than 1,400 square miles, serving 80 percent of Utah’s population in the nation’s fastest-growing state. Under the guidance and oversight of the UTA Board of Trustees, he oversees the daily operations of UTA’s integrated network of bus, bus rapid transit, light rail, commuter rail, streetcar, paratransit, and innovative mobility services. Fox is also responsible to develop strategy and set the standard for leadership in an organization of more than 2,800 employees.

Fox is a recognized strategic transit leader with substantial experience in transit operations oversight, capital project management, stakeholder relations, and government affairs. He has extensive knowledge of transit planning and government grant programs. He has built strong relationships with transit agencies, government entities, and executive leadership across the United States. Before coming to UTA, Fox was Deputy General Counsel for SEPTA in Philadelphia; served as a Senior Director at Amtrak; and spent seven years with the Federal Transit Administration, both as Regional Counsel for FTA Region 3 and as Acting Assistant Chief Counsel, coordinating the legal work of ten regional offices. Fox earned a bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctor at Rutgers University.

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Heather Barnum


Chief Communication Officer

Bio

Nichol Bourdeaux


Chief Planning & Engagement Officer

Bio

Alisha Garrett


Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer

Bio

David Hancock


Chief Capitol Service Officer

Bio

Viola Miller


Chief Financial Officer

Bio

Patrick Preusser


Chief Operating Officer

Bio

To Be Announced


Chief People Officer

Bio

Kim Shanklin


Chief of Staff

Bio

David Wilkins


Assistant Attorney General

Bio

Heather Barnum
Heather Barnum
Chief Communications Officer

Heather safeguards and strengthens the reputation of UTA through the integrated delivery of strategic, effective communications. She is a professional strategic communicator, team builder, and project manager who has committed a 25-year career to improving lives. She has invested purposefully in a diverse career with roles at the center of shaping and influencing behaviors, navigating crises, and leveraging relationships. Before joining UTA, Heather worked as Advancement Director for Utah's Hogle Zoo. Before that, she served as Communications and Partnership Director with the State of Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services, where she received a gubernatorial commendation for her work as the state’s coronavirus public campaign manager in 2020 and Media Professional of the Year by the Utah PIO Association. She has degrees in Spanish, public relations, and public administration and earned an Accreditation in Public Relations.


Title Name Areas of Focus
Chief Communications Officer Heather Barnum Oversee Communication & Marketing Office, budget, ad agencies, and other contracts
Strategic Communications and Content Manager Katie Morrison Strategic communications and client services
Digital Marketing Manager Mike Varanakis Digital marketing, including social media and video
Senior Strategist Executive
Communications
George Angerbauer Executive-level communications, including Board of Trustees, executive director, and government relations
Senior Public Information Officer Gavin Gustafson Media relations, social media, and story development

Nichol Bourdeaux
Nichol Bourdeaux
Chief Planning & Engagement Officer

With 20 years of experience in public administration, Ms. Bourdeaux has made a significant impact in her roles. As the UTA Planning and Engagement Officer, she has been instrumental in enhancing the departments of Community Engagement, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Innovative Mobility Solutions, and Planning. Previously, Ms. Bourdeaux was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Ralph Becker in Salt Lake City and the Deputy Director of Housing and Neighborhood Development for Salt Lake City Corporation. She began her career working for sporting and news affiliates. Her passion for sports led her to join the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, where she was the entertainment and leisure coordinator for the Athlete’s Village. In 2022, Ms. Bourdeaux received the “Woman of the Year Award” from the Women’s Transportation Seminar Utah Northern Chapter for her transformational work in transit in the Wasatch Front. She serves on the Utah Museums Advisory Board and the Utah College of Social and Behavioral Science Advancement Board. She holds a BA in Communications and an MPA from the University of Utah.


Title Name Areas of Focus
Chief Planning & Engagement Officer Nichol Bourdeaux Service and strategic planning, customer experience, community engagement, customer service, innovative mobility
Senior Manager of Customer Service Cindy Medford Assists customers by listening and identifying their needs or concerns and providing solutions; operates lost and found offices
Acting Director of Planning Janelle Robertson Oversees service and strategic planning and customer experience
Community Engagement Director Megan Waters Community engagement, outreach, public involvement, partnership-building, and other community or public interactions and efforts across UTA
Director of Innovative Mobility Services Hal Johnson Oversees Mobility on Demand, connected and autonomous vehicles, Mobility as a Service programs, and public-private partnerships

Alisha Garrett
Alisha Garrett
Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer

Alisha designs, delivers, and implements work that facilitates the alignment and integration of UTA’s people, processes, technology, leadership, and priorities. She leads the agency’s strategy deployment, driving organizational excellence through connecting people with purpose. Her focus and passion center on creating an amazing experience for UTA employees and the communities they serve every day. Alisha received a bachelor’s degree in international business and a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance and organizational culture. She possesses multiple certificates in strategy, enhancing team dynamics, culture, and engagement techniques. She is a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Leadership Program and was included in Mass Transit Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 for her industry contributions and impact. Alisha is a Shingo Alumni and has supported and partnered with the Shingo Institute.


Title Name Areas of Focus
Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer Alisha Garrett Strategy, IT, data, analysis, records, culture, organizational development, policy, risk
Records Manager Auty Dahlquist Records
Director of Business Analysis Tigran Melikyan Analysis and reporting
Director of Organizational Excellence Richard Murray Organizational Excellence, continuous improvement, workforce innovation
IT Director Kyle Brimley Network infrastructure, application development, enterprise applications, information security, IT service desk, bus and rail on-board technology
Special Projects Manager Over Application Development Edison Pascascio Data, database management and security, data warehouses, dashboards, reporting, integration, data lineage, data governance
Senior Organizational Development Consultant Louis Grether Organizational development
Risk Management Administrator Christie Giles Risk management

Dave Hancock
David Hancock
Chief Capital Services Officer

Dave oversees all UTA capital programs and projects including the agency’s current $1.3 billion, five-year capital plan. He provides strategic leadership for the following departments: Real Estate and Transit-Oriented Communities, Capital Programming and Support, Capital Design and Construction, Capital Vehicles, and Environment and Sustainability. Dave brings to UTA years of experience as a senior leader in capital development, capital construction, and capital asset management. Prior to UTA, he worked as a program management consultant for a large engineering firm and as a project manager for a civil construction contractor. Dave earned a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Utah. He is a registered professional engineer in Utah and currently is part of the American Public Transportation Association Leadership Program.


Title Name Areas of Focus
Chief Capital Services Officer Dave Hancock Advance capital projects from development to implementation; development of Five-Year Capital Plan
Director of Capital Design and Construction Jared Scarbrough Capital construction, bridge inspections, rail and vehicle projects, quality assurance and quality control, project activation
Director of Real Estate and Transit-Oriented Communities Paul Drake Property administration, acquisitions, dispositions, licensing, leasing, TOC implementation, station area planning
Director of Capital Programming and Support Dan Hofer Project controls, asset management, geographical information system, capital budgeting
Manager of Capital Vehicles Kyle Stockley
Manager of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Patti Garver

Viola Miller
Viola Miller
Chief Financial Officer

Vi is a key advisor to the UTA Executive Director and Board of Trustees on developing financial resiliency to meet the agency’s strategic and transformational goals. The departments under her leadership include Accounting, Accounts Payable/Receivable, Budget, Claims and Insurance, Fares, Grants, Payroll, Supply Chain, and Treasury. Prior to joining UTA, Vi served as the Operating Budget Senior Director at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, as well as the Operating Budget Deputy Director at the District of Columbia Office of Budget and Planning. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland. Vi is a board member of the Gateway Children’s Museum.


Title Name Areas of Focus
Chief Financial Officer Viola Miller
Budget and Finance Director Brad Armstrong
Comptroller Rob Lamph Accounting, including accounts payable and accounts receivable, asset management, grant accounting, and payroll; treasury support
Fares Director Monica Morton
Director of Supply Chain Todd Mills
Claims & Insurance Manager David Pitcher
Grants Director Tracy Young

Patrick Preusseer
Patrick Preusseer
Chief Operating Officer

Patrick leads bus, rail, special services, operations, maintenance, fleet engineering, and police — representing about 80% of UTA’s workforce. He is a passionate, forward-thinking leader who brings more than 27 years of transportation experience in fixed-route bus, rail, and paratransit services, with success advancing safety, operations, maintenance, and customer service. Before joining UTA, Patrick served as the Director of Rapid Transit in Honolulu, Hawai`i, where he led the daily business activities across the department for fixed-route bus, rail, and paratransit, including the commencement of passenger service on the nation’s first driverless metro. Prior to his work in Honolulu, Patrick was the Executive Director of Transportation in Portland, Oregon. He led the Transportation Division, which included fixed-route bus, light rail, streetcar, commuter rail, paratransit, schedule making, resource planning, and contracted services. He has also held leadership roles at the Saudi Railway Company, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority, and U.S. Department of Transportation. Patrick holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in transportation management from the University of Denver. He is a certified Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute and was selected for Mass Transit Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40.”


Title Name Areas of Focus
Chief Operating Officer Patrick Preusser Leadership over six service units covering UTA’s service area, as well as Public Safety, Fleet Engineering, and Support Maintenance
Chief of Staff Ali Oliver Strategic deployment of COO vision and support of all COO direct reports and their departments for aligned customer, employee, and business activity

BUS SERVICE UNITS

 

Mt. Ogden Service Unit Regional General Manager Camille Glenn Bus operations and maintenance for Weber, Box Elder, and North Davis Counties
Salt Lake Service Unit Regional General Manager Andres Colman Operations and maintenance for Salt Lake County and PC-SLC Connect
Timpanogos Service Unit Regional General Manager Mary De La Mare- Schaefer Bus service issues for Utah County, coordination with MAG and UDOT, point of contact for Utah County cities regarding transit
Special Services Service Unit General Manager Ryan Taylor Paratransit, Flex Route, vanpool, and rideshare services throughout the UTA service area; coordination of regional human service transportation; FTA 5310 grant program administration
Special Services Program Manager Michael Goldman Vanpool and rideshare administration
Special Services Customer Care Administrator Alex Archuleta

RAIL SERVICE UNITS

Light Rail Services General Manager Jaron Robertson Light rail and streetcar operations and maintenance
Commuter Rail Services General Manager Zachary Thomas Commuter rail operations and maintenance, commuter rail regulatory compliance

OPERATIONS SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS

Director of Maintenance Support Kevin Anderson Maintenance of Way, facilities maintenance
Director of Fleet Engineering Bryan Sawyer Engineering activities associated with projects to improve vehicle performance, longevity, and reliability
Chief of Police Dalan Taylor Public Safety, Transit Communications Center (TCC)

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To Be Announced
Chief People Officer


Title Name Areas of Focus
Chief People Officer To Be Announced HR and labor relations, Total Rewards, talent acquisition, talent development, people analytics, workforce technical training, civil rights
Director of Total Rewards Ann Green-Barton Total Rewards, benefits, retirement, wellness program, drug and alcohol, FMLA, employee compensation
Total Rewards Program Admin Alisa MJ Rosner UTA Drug and Alcohol program
Drug and Alcohol Program Manager Lorin Simpson UTA Drug and Alcohol program
Director of Workforce Technical Training Stacey Palacios Bus operator training, maintenance training (bus, facilities, rail apprenticeship, forklift, etc.)
Manager of Civil Rights Compliance Kenya Fail Oversee equal opportunity and accessibility for employees, job applicants, contractors, and users of programs, services, and facilities; provide training and technical assistance in civil-rights- related areas of ADA, DBE, EEO, Title VI, and Limited English Proficiency Program; ensure intake and resolution of complaints of discrimination
Director of Talent Acquisition Greg Gerber Oversee all talent acquisition/recruitment strategy and the Talent Acquisition Team
Director of Human Resources Joy Kapos Oversee human resources
People Analytics Program Manager Anthony Johnson People analytics; people strategy; management of employee experience metrics and data processes

David Wilkins
David Wilkins
Assistant Attorney General

David is an employee of the Utah Office of the Attorney General, where he serves as director of the transit law section, a component unit of the office’s tax and financial services division. In this role, David leads the team that provides legal services to UTA. David personally works in a variety of areas, including employment, labor, public governance, regulatory law, and legislative issues. Serving as an AAG since 2015, David previously served as litigation counsel to the Utah Labor Commission. A native of Kentucky, David holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University, a master’s degree from the University of Louisville, and a Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law. David volunteers his time as pro bono General Counsel for the HeritageRail Alliance, Inc., the trade group for tourist railroads and railway museums in the United States and Canada. There, David chairs the HRA’s Regulatory Committee and serves as an alternate member to the Federal Railroad Association’s Rail Safety Advisory Committee.


Title Name Areas of Focus
Section Director Assistant Attorney General David Wilkins Regulatory, board governance, HR, and labor relations
Assistant Attorney General Mike Bell Procurement and contracts
Assistant Attorney General Tim Merrill Real estate, TOD, and police
EEO Investigator Carolyn Parsons

Kim Shanklin
Kim Shanklin
Chief of Staff

Kim Shanklin began her career in human resources at UTA, then spent several years with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, managing its day-to-day human resources functions. She returned to UTA in 2007 to manage labor relations and performance improvement and was promoted as Chief People Officer in January 2017. Shanklin has extensive experience working in a public transit environment, applying continuous improvement strategies, and working with public transit unions. She has strong experience designing human resources strategies in staffing, benefits and retirement, training, talent management, Equal Employment Opportunity, and organizational development. She served as the chair of the labor relations subcommittee of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) from 2010 to 2017 and completed APTA’s leadership development program. She has served on the board of the Transit Labor Exchange as the financial secretary and treasurer since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in public administration, with an emphasis in human resources management, from the University of Utah.


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