Why did you want this position?

We have several major projects going on, all of which I’ve had a major role in development on. I thought that the general manager position coming available would be a really good place to see those through to fruition and really be able to see them immersed within the organization.

What makes you the right person?

From my own perspective, it was probably just that I do have a track record here at DART of moving projects forward. We really started on a path and vision of where we want to head up, and I think they might have seen my ability to move those forward and see them through to completion. We’ve done many service changes that my staff and I worked on.

Tell me about your history with DART.

I’ve been here for three years. I started in June 2008. The major projects I was tasked with when I got here were to begin the development of DART Central Station, to begin to formulate a vision for transit service within the region – which is our DART Forward plan that we kicked off last fall – and to work on enhancing the technology in the organization. We were able to do that through the stimulus and some other grant funding. Later this calendar year, we’ll be launching a trip planner, and next fall, we’ll be launching our real-time information system.

How helpful is it to know how the organization works?

I think it puts me in a unique perspective, because I have interacted with all of the governments before. I have a familiarity with the customer base and with the departments that make up DART, so it does provide a much smoother transition. I think me having been here for the majority of Brad’s time here, it just makes for a smoother transition.

What are the biggest challenges DART faces?

I think our first and foremost challenge is the budget. We have had a constrained budget for the last two fiscal years, and the projections don’t look any better into the future. As we start to roll out the DART Forward plan and how we’re going to move forward, we’re going to have to take all these factors into account, trying to come up with a funding strategy that will work for everyone.

How important is it for DART to get member communities to buy in?

It’s very important. They are our member governments, and they are the members of DART, and they help make up our pieces of the puzzle and our funding. We want to keep the membership whole. There will be some give and take throughout as we start to roll stuff out, but I think the more investment we can do in the system, we can provide better service throughout the region and we’ll just create that appetite for transit.

Tell me about your career before DART.

I’ve spent time both on the private side and public side. When I was on the private side, I was a consultant and I worked for several public transit agencies across the country doing planning work for them. After that I went to the Charlotte Area Transit System where I did a lot of bus operations, project management work and then moved on to the management and service planning. I was in charge of all of the bus service and coordination with the light rail line there.

What attracted you to Des Moines in 2008?

I really like the size of it. I felt that the organization was growing and really offered a lot of potential. We had never lived in the middle of the country before, and we thought we’d give it a try. My husband and I have really grown very fond of Des Moines, and it’s just amazing how it’s grown in the last three years. We want to be a part of it as it grows for the future, particularly as public transit begins to get more prominent.

What do you do for fun?

We got new bikes last summer, so we’ve been enjoying all the trails throughout Central Iowa. We like to travel, hike, cook, try new restaurants. We have two dogs, so they take up a lot of our time.