Santa Monica City Councilmember Pam O’Connor has been named 1st Vice Chair of Metro (previously known as MTA).
The positions rotate between the board members. O’Connor was 2nd Vice Chair last year. To become the 1st Chair next year, she must win re-election to the Santa Monica City Council in November, as the Chair positions are open only to elected officials. Currently, Gloria Molina is Chair and Mayor Villaraigosa is 2nd Vice-Chair.
O’Connor represents the small cities on the Westside – Beverly Hills, Culver City and West Hollywood in addition to Santa Monica – as well as over a dozen cities in the South Bay. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Executive Management and Audit Committee.
Her new position will allow O’Connor the chance to help shape the future of the organization. According to O’Connor, “While the Metro has the largest fleet of alternative buses in the U.S., there are still a lot of things the agency can do to become more sustainable.”