Assistant AC Transit General Manager Mary King has been appointed Interim General Manager, taking the place of Rick Fernandez who is leaving after 13 years with the agency. The District's Board of Directors tapped Ms King to head the District while it engages in a search for a permanent replacement.

"I pledge to the entire Board that I will do my best to continue the implementation of your policy," said Ms King who thanked the Board for its confidence in her. "First, we must keep in mind that we are here to serve the taxpayers of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and the customers of AC Transit who rely upon safe and dependable transportation services."

"Second, it is our duty to provide a sane and humane work environment for the dedicated employees who carry out our mission on a daily basis," said Ms King who started at AC Transit in 2004 as the Assistant General Manager for Communications and External Affairs.

A longtime community and political leader, Ms King brings an impressive list of personal and professional accomplishments to the job. Most notably, she is a former member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors where she was committed to improving economic conditions and social services to lower income residents. She became a champion of land-use issues, developing and introducing a major approach that became known as the "King Plan."

Ms King has served on numerous local, regional and state committees and boards including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Attorney General's Commission on Hate Crimes and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. She spearheaded the Measure B campaign, the county-wide sales tax measure that brought dedicated funding to public transportation.

Ms King is the former President of the Association of Bay Area Governments and, while serving as a MTC commissioner, was Chair of the Bay Bridge Design Task Force. And this year, Ms King was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Northern California Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.

"Mary King is a real pro and AC Transit is in good hands," said MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger.

As a county supervisor, Ms King also promoted education, health and violence prevention, establishing an Eastmont Wellness Center which houses the Mary V. King Health Education Center, named in her honor.

Among other things, Ms King has been the Chief of Staff for California State Legislator Bill Lockyer and Oakland Mayor Lionel Wilson; and was a chief Assistant to Oakland City Manager Henry Gardner.

"Mary King has a strong reputation for leadership over her long career in public service," said Rocky Fernandez, Board President. "We look forward to working with her to provide AC Transit's riders with safe and reliable service."

Ms King has two daughters and two grandchildren, and is a lifelong resident of Oakland.