Veteran Transit Executive to Take the Helm at SunLine Transit Agency

 

(Thousand Palms) – SunLine Transit Agency has announced that seasoned transit professional, Mona Babauta, will join the organization and serve as its new CEO/General Manager on August 7, 2023.

 

Babauta comes to the agency with 26 years of public service in California – 24 of which have been in the public transit industry serving communities in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. Most recently, she served as the Deputy General Manager for Golden Gate Transit, which is a division of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District that provides transit service in Sonoma, Marin, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties.

 

Additionally, she was the first permanent Executive Director of Solano County Transit, where – after 5 years – she eliminated a structural deficit, initiated the agency’s transition to zero-emission technology and completed a number of infrastructure projects that were critical for improving public trust, operational efficiency as well as system safety and security.

 

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we look forward to welcoming Mona – who brings a wealth of transit knowledge and leadership experience to SunLine Transit Agency,” said Glenn Miller, Board Chair of SunLine Transit Agency. “We are confident she is the ideal individual to lead SunLine in this pivotal time as we transition to full zero-emission service before the state’s 2040 deadline, while maintaining SunLine’s position as a leader in transit innovation and technology.”

 

Separate from Babauta’s expansive professional career, she has also been active in various state, regional and national committees focused on transit advocacy and sustainability, including serving on the Executive Committee of the California Transit Association and the Board of Directors of The Center for Transportation and the Environment.

 

“I have always admired SunLine’s innovative spirit and industry leadership in the hydrogen fuel cell space, and I’m both thrilled and honored to be joining its team very soon,” said Babauta. “I look forward to working with the Board, the staff and its labor partners, as well as our community

stakeholders, to advance projects and programs that will further improve the customer experience and mobility throughout the Coachella Valley.”

 

Babauta earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

 

To learn more about SunLine Transit Agency, visit SunLine.org.