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Board of Directors

Board of Directors

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Board of Directors Meetings

Regular meetings are held the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 5 pm.
(The Board generally holds one meeting per month during the months of August, November and December and Special meetings as necessary.)

Board Contact Information

Board of Directors
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
1600 Franklin Street, 10th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Fax Number: (510) 891-4705

Standing Committees of the Board

Operations Committee
Diane Shaw, Chair
The Operations Committee  shall be responsible for reviewing all activities associated with the operation of the District’s bus service and administrative business functions.  In addition, the Committee shall be responsible for oversight of the Board’s operational and personnel policies.
External Affairs Committee
H.E. Christian Peeples, Chair
The External Affairs Committee shall be responsible for reviewing all activities associated with promoting the District’s interests primarily through legislation, marketing, customer services, and community outreach.  In addition, the Committee shall be responsible for oversight of the Board’s administrative and legal policies.
Planning Committee
Sarah Syed, Chair

The Planning Committee shall be responsible for reviewing all planning, construction and engineering activities, including the development of new and modifications to existing bus service provided by the District to its customers.  In addition, the Committee shall be responsible for oversight of the Board’s service development, planning, environmental and Title VI policies.
Finance & Audit Committee
Murphy McCalley, Chair
The Finance and Audit Committee shall be responsible for reviewing issues involving District financial matters primarily the preparation of the operating and capital budgets, mid-year adjustments and review of the audited financial statements.  In addition, the Committee shall be responsible for the oversight of the Board’s fiscal policies.
AC Transit Financing Corporation
Annual December Meeting

The AC Transit Financing Corporation became incorporated under the laws of the State of California on May 6, 1988. The Corporation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation and is organized pursuant to the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law of the Sate of California for the purpose of rendering financial assistance to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) by financing, refinancing, acquiring, constructing, improving, leasing and selling of buildings, building improvements, equipment and other public improvements, lands and any other real or personal property for benefits of residents of the District and surrounding areas, to promote the common good and welfare of residents of the District and surrounding areas, and to borrow the necessary funds.

Internal/External Board Liaison Assignments

INTERNAL LIAISON COMMITTEES
General Manager's Access Committee (GMAC)
Regular Member: SHAW
Alternate Member: PEEPLES

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this committee is to review, comment, and advise the General Manager and District staff regarding the implementation of planning programs and services for elderly and disabled people.
City of Berkeley/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members: PEEPLES, WALSH
Alternate Members: BECKLES

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this committee is to provide a cooperative framework to provide input on issues of mutual interest between AC Transit and the City of Berkeley. The committee consists of 2 members of the AC Transit Board of Directors and 2 members of the Berkeley City Council.
City of Emeryville/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members
: WALSH, PEEPLES
Alternate Members: YOUNG

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this committee is to provide a cooperative framework to provide input on issues of mutual interest between AC Transit and the City of Emeryville. The committee consists of 2 members of the AC Transit Board of Directors and 2 members of the Emeryville City Council.
BART/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members: SYED, MCCALLEY, SHAW
Alternate Members: PEEPLES

DESCRIPTION: Joint meeting of two Directors from BART and two Directors from AC Transit to discuss items of mutual interest to both agencies.
City of Hayward/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members: MCCALLEY, SHAW
Alternate Members: PEEPLES

DESCRIPTION: This committee meets to review major plans, projects and proposals that affect AC Transit service within the City of Hayward. The purpose of the committee is to improve communication and coordination between the two bodies and attempt to resolve any outstanding issues before major decisions are made by either body. The committee is comprised of 2 members each of the AC Transit Board of Directors and the Hayward City Council.
City of Alameda/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members: SYED, PEEPLES
Alternate Members: YOUNG

DESCRIPTION: This committee meets to review major plans, projects and proposals that affect AC Transit service within the City of Alameda. The purpose of the committee is to improve communication and coordination between the two bodies and attempt to resolve any outstanding issues before major decisions are made by either body. The committee is comprised of 2 members each of the AC Transit Board of Directors and the Alameda City Council.
City of Richmond/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members: BECKLES, PEEPLES
Alternate Members: YOUNG

DESCRIPTION: This committee meets to review major plans, projects and proposals that affect AC Transit service within the City of Richmond. The purpose of the committee is to improve communication and coordination between the two bodies and attempt to resolve any outstanding issues before major decisions are made by either body. The committee is comprised of 2 members each of the AC Transit Board of Directors and the Richmond City Council.
City of Oakland/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members: PEEPLES, YOUNG, SYED
Alternate Members: WALSH

DESCRIPTION: This committee meets to review major plans, projects and proposals that affect AC Transit service within the City of Oakland. The purpose of the committee is to improve communication and coordination between the two bodies and attempt to resolve any outstanding issues before major decisions are made by either body. The committee is comprised of 3 members each of the AC Transit Board of Directors and the Oakland City Council.
City of San Leandro/AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee
Regular Members: SYED, MCCALLEY
Alternate Members: PEEPLES

DESCRIPTION: This committee meets to review major plans, projects and proposals that affect AC Transit service within the City of San Leandro. The purpose of the committee is to improve communication and coordination between the two bodies and attempt to resolve any outstanding issues before major decisions are made by either body. The committee is comprised of 2 members each of the AC Transit Board of Directors and the San Leandro City Council.
District Parcel Tax Fiscal Oversight Committee
Regular Members: MCCALLEY
Alternate Members: PEEPLES

DESCRIPTION: This committee’s primary responsibility is to review the most recent fiscal year end annual audit to determine whether funds generated by District’s parcel tax measures have been expended in accordance with the intentions of the voters. It also provides a report of its findings to the Board of Directors on an annual basis. The Committee is composed of seven members appointed by the District’s Board of Directors and serve a three-year term. Meetings are held annually (usually in November) and are open to the public.
Retirement Board
Regular Members: YOUNG
Alternate Members: MCCALLEY

DESCRIPTION: The Retirement Board meets regularly to perform specific duties, including determining qualification for individual retirements; employing actuaries, investment consultants and money managers to assist in administering the fund; and advising the District’s Directors on retirement plan issues.
East Bay Paratransit Access Committee (EBPAC)
Regular Members: SHAW
Alternate Members: PEEPLES

DESCRIPTION: The EBPAC provides advice and comment to the General Managers of AC Transit and BART. Because all meetings are public and noticed in advance, the EBPAC also provides a forum for public input and participation in the oversight of ADA paratransit. The EBPAC meets quarterly. EBPAC members typically review and comment on:

• Quarterly performance data for the ADA system
• Projected budgets and demand levels
• Measure B claims
• Proposed changes to policies or major operating procedures
• Customer satisfaction surveys
South Alameda County Policy Committee [D‐2 Fremont/Newark]
Regular Members: SHAW, PEEPLES
Alternate Members: YOUNG

DESCRIPTION: This committee was initially established to provide the policy framework for the Collaborative Transit Development Plan of 2000. The PAC consists of two elected officials each from Fremont and Newark that are appointed by the mayor and councils of each city and two AC Transit Directors appointed by the board president.
The primary responsibility of the PAC is for developing the goals and objectives for the Transit Development Plan and deciding how best to engage the public.
EXTERNAL LIAISON COMMITTEES
Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC)
Regular Members
: YOUNG
Alternate Members: SHAW

DESCRIPTION: The Alameda CTC’s mission is to plan, fund and deliver a broad spectrum of transportation projects and programs to enhance mobility throughout Alameda County.
Alameda County Conference of Mayors
Regular Members: MCCALLEY
Alternate Members: SHAW

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this organization is to: develop and maintain a means of cooperative effort and understanding in matters of mutual interest and concern; assemble information helpful in the consideration of problems peculiar to the various areas of the county; provide guidance for united action by their respective cities in dealing with local municipal affairs; serve as city-county relations organization; consider, study and make recommendations regarding metropolitan area problems; explore all applicable avenues of thought advances in the interest of local public welfare and improved administrative policies.
Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
Regular Members
: WALSH
Alternate Members: SYED

DESCRIPTION: ABAG is the official comprehensive planning agency for the San Francisco Bay region. ABAG's mission is to strengthen cooperation and coordination among local governments. In doing so, ABAG addresses social, environmental, and economic issues that transcend local borders. The Bay Area is defined as the nine counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. All nine counties and 99 of the 101 cities within the Bay Area are voluntary members of ABAG, representing nearly all of the region's population. ABAG is governed by a 38-member Executive Board that meets every other month on the third Thursday beginning in January. Members are appointed by their county, city, or mayor’s conference/cities association to represent cities in their county.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
Regular Members
: SYED
Alternate Members: WALSH

DESCRIPTION: The Board of Directors oversees the Air District as it develops policies, plans, rules, permits, enforcement, outreach, and grant programs to protect air quality, public health, and the global climate. The Air District’s Board of Directors is made up of 24 locally elected representatives from 9 Bay Area counties. Each county’s population determines the number of representatives on the Board, as follows:

• Marin and Napa: 1 representative each;
• Solano and Sonoma: 2 representatives each;
• San Francisco and San Mateo: 3 representatives each;
• Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara: 4 representatives each.

The Board has 11 standing committees that assist the District in its mission to improve air quality, protect public health and global climate. Rules and regulations are adopted by a majority of the Board, with public hearings required before rules are changed or adopted. Questions or comments to the Board may be sent to the Clerk of the Boards. To ensure your message is presented at the next Board meeting, be sure to send it 24 hours before the meeting starts.

NOTE: AC Transit Board Members are not members of this legislative body.
Contra Costa County Conference of Mayors
Regular Members
: BECKLES
Alternate Members: PEEPLES

DESCRIPTION: The Contra Costa County Mayors’ Conference has existed since the mid 1950’s. Its purpose is to be an educational forum for elected officials and a place to network and exchange information. Additionally, the Conference takes positions on issues facing member agencies. The Conference meets on the first Thursday of each month. Meetings are held in one of the 19 Contra Costa communities.
Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA)
Regular Members
: PEEPLES
Alternate Members: NONE

DESCRIPTION: The Contra Costa Transportation Authority was formed to manage the billion-dollar public investment (Measure C), oversee the design and construction of new projects, and carry out what would be the county’s first Growth Management Program. The Authority Board is composed of two elected officials from each of the four sub-regions of Contra Costa: Southwest County, Central County, East County and West County, plus two County Supervisors and a representative of the Conference of Mayors.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) (Incl. “842”)
Regular Members
: SHAW
Alternate Members: MCCALLEY

DESCRIPTION: Created by the state Legislature in 1970, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The Commission’s work is guided by a 19-member policy board. Fourteen commissioners are appointed directly by local elected officials (each of the five most populous counties has two representatives, with the board of supervisors selecting one representative, and the mayors of the cities within that county appointing another; the four remaining counties appoint one commissioner to represent both the cities and the board of supervisors). In addition, two members represent regional agencies — the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Finally, three nonvoting members have been appointed to represent federal and state transportation agencies and the federal housing department.
MTC Regional Network Management Committee
Regular Members
: SHAW
Alternate Members: NONE

DESCRIPTION: The Regional Network Management Committee – formerly the Operations Committee – oversees the Regional Network Management framework and many of the programs MTC runs for the public, including MTC’s traveler services like 511 and Clipper®, as well as highways and major roads.
Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA)
Regular Members
: SYED
Alternate Members: MCCALLEY

DESCRIPTION: The TJPA Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from the City and County of San Francisco and the State of California, including the SF Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), the Office of the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors; the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit); and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board-Cal-train, composed of the City and County of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit District, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee
Regular Members
: PEEPLES
Alternate Members: BECKLES

DESCRIPTION: WCCTAC participates in defining and implementing policies, programs, and projects to improve local and regional transportation and air quality. WCCTAC is one of four Regional Transportation Planning Committees in Contra Costa County. WCCTAC is governed by a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the following member agencies: the cities of El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo; Contra Costa County; and the transit providers, AC Transit, BART, and WestCAT.

Board of Directors

Joel B Young
Joel B. Young
President
Joel Young, an East Bay attorney, was appointed by the AC Transit Board of Directors in February 2009 to fill one of the District's two At Large positions and was subsequently elected to the seat in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. Director Young was Vice President of the Board in 2021 and 2022 and is currently serving a second term as President of the Board of Directors. As a senior member of the Board of Directors, Director Young helped raise funds for AC Transit's hydrogen fuel cell bus program, voted to allocate over $200 million of AC Transit's contracting dollars to local businesses to support good paying local jobs, and secured funding to support local bus service and maintain affordable fares. Director Young also supported the development of a Climate Action Plan for the District, advocates for zero emission bus technology and funding, and spearheaded the Freedom Bus Project, a collaborative effort between the Alameda County Office of Education, Alameda County Arts Commission, and AC Transit to commemorate the anniversary of Rosa Parks historic bus ride through arts education, public transit, and the history of the civil rights movement. Director Young serves as a member of the APTA Board of Directors, and as Secretary of the APTA Transit Board Members Committee. He is also a member of the APTA State Affairs Committee and the APTA Zero Emission Fleet Committee. Director Young earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley School of Law.
Representing:
District At-Large
Term Expires:
December 2026
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
(510) 891-4705
Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700:
Diane Shaw 426x600
Diane Shaw
Vice President
Diane Shaw was elected to the AC Transit Board of Directors in November 2018 to represent Ward 5 and is currently Vice President of the Board. As a life-long user of public transit, Director Shaw regularly rode the Dumbarton Express bus from Fremont/Newark to San Carlos while employed as an Information Technology Manager for the San Mateo County Transit District until retirement. Director Shaw was appointed in June 2023 to represent AC Transit on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Regional Network Management Committee and is currently the Chair of AC Transit’s Operations Committee. Director Shaw has also served as chair of the District’s Finance & Audit Committee and was AC Transit’s representative on the Transbay Joint Powers Authority from 2021-2023. In addition, Director Shaw supports the mission and initiatives of committees that serve to improve access to public transit for seniors and people with disabilities, including AC Transit’s General Manager’s Access Committee, East Bay Paratransit’s Access Committee, and the Alameda County Transportation Commission’s Paratransit Technical Advisory Committee. Director Shaw is a member of the American Public Transportation Association, Transportation Research Board, and California Transit Association among others. In addition, Director Shaw volunteers time, energy and expertise to many local organizations serving the community, including the Fremont Elks Lodge #2121, Fremont Kiwanis, Life Elder Care's Meals on Wheels, is the President of the Ohlone Humane Society Board of Directors which helps to serve the needs of animals in the Tri-City area, and is on the Board of Directors for the Fremont Family Resource Center Corporation. Director Shaw received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Computer Science from Minnesota State University, Mankato and brings a wealth of knowledge in the transportation field and public service to her position on the AC Transit Board of Directors.
Representing:
Ward 5
Term Expires:
December 2026
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
(510) 891-4705
Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700:
H. E. Chritian Peeples
H E. Christian Peeples
Director
H. E. Christian (Chris) Peeples was appointed by the AC Transit Board of Directors in November 1997 to fill one of the District’s two At Large Board positions and was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. Director Peeples, a longtime advocate for public transit, and AC Transit bus service in particular, has been actively involved in the AC Bus Riders Union, Alliance for AC Transit, Regional Alliance for Transit, Alliance for Sensible Transit, Coalition for A One Stop Terminal, and many other transit groups. He is also active in local community affairs, having served on the Oakland Ethics Commission and community and political bodies. In addition, he is active in the meetings of the Transportation Research Board (“TRB”), the branch of the National Academies involved in transportation research, and the American Public Transportation Association (“APTA”), transit’s national association. He is a strong supporter of AC Transit’s zero emission fuel cell bus program and has spoken at, and moderated panels at, national and international hydrogen and zero emission bus programs. Director Peeples is a graduate of Crown College, University of California at Santa Cruz and Hastings College of the Law.
Representing:
District At-Large
Term Expires:
December 2024
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
(510) 891-4705
Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700:
Jovanka Beckles 600x840
Jovanka Beckles
Director
Jovanka Beckles was elected in November 2020 to serve on the AC Transit Board of Directors representing the Cities of Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo and a portion of Berkeley as well as the unincorporated areas of El Sobrante, Kensington and North Richmond. Ms. Beckles graduated cum laude in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida A&M University and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. Over the course of her career, Ms. Beckles has worked as a counselor, youth educator, team builder and strategist, client advocate, crime prevention specialist, housing case manager for the homeless, and mental health specialist for 32 years and has been a small business owner in the City of Richmond.  She also served her community as a two-term member of the Richmond City Council, was President of the Richmond Heights Neighborhood Council and retains membership in numerous organizations, including Concilio Latino and the League of United Latin American Citizens, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA-Richmond), Women in Politics, East Bay DSA and the Richmond Progressive Alliance. With a long record of public service, Ms. Beckles is committed to working with riders and workers to build a universally accessible, emission free transit system that the public deserves.
Representing:
Ward 1
Term Expires:
December 2024
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
(510) 891-4705
Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700:
Jean Walsh 426x600
Jean Walsh
Director
Jean Walsh, representing parts of Oakland, Berkeley, and the cities of Emeryville and Piedmont since 2020, works tirelessly to create a world class, rider-centric Bay Area transportation network. Director Walsh brings a wealth of experience and commitment to community service. Active in grassroots transportation organizations such as East Bay Transit Riders Union and Bike East Bay, Director Walsh's involvement goes beyond her official duties. She also serves on the board of the Longfellow Community Association, leads a 750+ member biking group on Meetup.com, hosts a monthly Car Free Happy Hour, and remains deeply connected to the local community. Car-free since 2004, Director Walsh practices what she preaches, navigating the Bay Area on foot, bike, and public transit. She has been riding buses since she was 11 years old, when she regularly took the bus to the public library in her hometown of Lakewood, Colorado. Having served in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, Director Walsh is fluent in Spanish and brings a global perspective to her advocacy work. She earned a master's degree in Urban Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a bachelor's degree in History and Political Science from the University of Colorado. Director Walsh serves on the AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee (ILC) with the cities of Berkeley and Emeryville.
Representing:
Ward 2
Term Expires:
December 2024
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
(510) 891-4705
Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700:
Sarah Syed, Director, Ward 3
Sarah Syed
Director
Sarah Syed was elected in November 2022 and is serving her first term on the AC Transit Board of Directors representing the City of Alameda and portions of Oakland and San Leandro. Director Syed is a Transportation Equity Program Manager at the Othering & Belonging Institute at U.C. Berkeley and, in that role, works to facilitate community-based equitable transportation planning to address transit inequities and the climate crisis. She currently serves on two national panels advising research on Racial Equity, Black America, and Public Transportation and on Cultivating Accountability with Meaningful Public Engagement. Director Syed previously worked as a Senior Manager with Los Angeles Metro, Senior Transportation Planner with the City of Palo Alto, Design Manager with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and Bicycle and Pedestrian Analyst with the City of Oakland. Over the past two decades, Director Syed’s work in the transportation field has contributed to advances in understanding how institutional racism perpetuates transportation inequities and to the development and delivery of new infrastructure, plans, and services to improve mobility for people who walk, cycle, and ride transit in Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Clara County, and Los Angeles. Director Syed holds master's degrees in Civil Engineering and City and Regional Planning as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley. Her master’s thesis analyzed the travel behavior impacts of parking user fees at rail transit stations. A longtime advocate for healthy and equitable communities and transport, Director Syed has served on the American Planning Association Los Angeles Board of Directors, the Young Transportation Professionals SF Bay Area Board of Directors, the Sierra Club Northern Alameda County Group Executive Committee, and the Berkeley Transportation Commission.
Representing:
Ward 3
Term Expires:
December 2026
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
(510) 891-4705
Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700:
Murphy McCalley 426x600
Murphy McCalley
Director
Murphy McCalley was appointed to the AC Transit Board of Directors on April 15, 2022, to represent Ward 4. As an East Bay native, Mr. McCalley grew up riding AC Transit buses and was encouraged by his blue-collar working parents to pursue education, which led him to change the financial picture of public transit. With career roots in the transit industry, Mr. McCalley believes public transit is an essential ingredient to community vitality from a mobility, employment, environmental and economic standpoint. Aside from navigating the paths to obtain federal, state, and local funding, his innovative approach to financial problem-solving has benefited transit riders across the nation. As an advisor to policymakers throughout his career, Mr. McCalley appreciates the importance and gravity that policymaking brings to the community, and in his new role on the AC Transit Board of Directors, seeks to reimagine transit service in Ward 4; improve service for youth, seniors and people with disabilities; and stabilize AC Transit’s financial position to ensure future growth. Mr. McCalley previously served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Alameda County Transportation Commission’s Independent Watchdog Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of the Edge Foundation. He is also an active member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland Alumni Booster Club. In addition, Mr. McCalley founded and served as Chair of the California Transit Finance Corporation (CTFC), which was formed to assist transit agencies with financing capital projects, was Chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Financial Management Committee, and is a recipient of the Urban Mass Transit Administration (now the Federal Transit Administration) Administrator’s Award for Innovative Finance. Mr. McCalley holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in budgeting and finance from California State University, Long Beach.
Representing:
Ward 4
Term Expires:
December 2026
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
(510) 891-4705
Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700: