Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Jon Rubin, San Francisco Mayor's Appointee, to Head Regional Transportation Agency

New appointees join Commission as well

Contact:

Randy Rentschler, 510.817.5780
Jon Rubin, 650.873.1200

OAKLAND, Calif., February 23, 2005... Jon Rubin, who has served for the past decade as the San Francisco Mayor’s appointee to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), today was elected chair of the regional agency by his fellow commissioners at a regularly monthly meeting of the 19-member policy board. Elected to serve as vice chair was former Santa Clara City Councilmember John McLemore, who represents the cities of Santa Clara County. Each will hold office for a two-year term.

Outlining his goals for the next two years, Rubin said, “I’m going to be an advocate for Bay Area travelers. I’ll work with the state Legislature to develop an equitable plan that gets the East Span of the Bay Bridge built as fast as possible and doesn’t stick tollpayers with the whole bill. Bay Area voters dug into their own pockets several times last year to pay for $8 billion of transportation improvements around the region. Now I’m committed to delivering those projects.”

Referring to outgoing MTC Chair Steve Kinsey, who continues to serve as Marin County’s representative on the Commission, Rubin noted that “Steve has set a good example that I intend to follow. He listens—to the Commission’s supporters and critics alike. That approach has identified plenty of common ground on which all of us can work together.” Other priorities identified by Rubin include advocating for the state to fulfill its commitment to transportation investment, promoting reauthorization of the federal transportation funding program, improving efficiency among local transportation agencies and transit operators, and tightening the connection between transportation and land-use planning.

Rubin, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the public relations, political and legislative processes, was appointed to MTC in 1995 by former San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan. He now serves as president and CEO of the Peninsula Coalition, a South San Francisco-based nonprofit formed by l eaders in the business, labor and political communities to promote economic vitality, infrastructure sufficiency, labor/business harmony, and responsive local and county decision-making. Rubin is a former Political Director of the California Democratic Party and served from 1988 to 1991 as Chief of Staff for then state Senator Quentin Kopp, who was chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. Rubin’s work covered many areas with a focus on legislative strategy, press outreach and community relations. In 1992, Rubin was appointed to the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, the tri-county governing body for the Caltrain railway system.

A recipient of the "Silver Spike" award for outstanding contributions to public transit, Rubin also has received "Pollie" awards (the American Association of Political Consultants' Oscar) for best in the nation in local mail and non-mail public information campaigns. He most recently was honored by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations with a Silver Medallion award for video creation and production for his work with the City College of San Francisco.

McLemore has been an MTC commissioner since February 1999. He served as a Santa Clara city councilmember from 1996 to 2004 and recently completed a two-year term as president of the Caltrain board of directors. McLemore, who retired in 2004 from a 32-year career as a director of operations planning in the electronics industry in Silicon Valley, continues to serve on the Caltrain and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) boards of directors. He has been either a regular or ex officio member of the VTA Board for the past six years. McLemore also serves on the Regional Airport Planning Committee, the Dumbarton Corridor Rail Policy Committee, and the Joint Policy Committee formed by MTC and the Association of Bay Area Governments. In addition, he serves on the boards of directors of seven nonprofit organizations, including the Santa Clara Mission City Community Fund, the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, the Villa Montalvo Education Outreach Committee, and the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, plus three other senior housing, social and educational organizations.

In addition to electing Rubin as chair and McLemore as vice chair, the Commission welcomed a new member, Anne W. Halsted, who was appointed to replace Barbara Kaufman as the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission representative to MTC. Today marked the last MTC meeting for Santa Rosa City Councilmember Sharon Wright, who has represented Sonoma County and its cities on the Commission since 1995. Santa Rosa City Councilmember Bob Blanchard has been appointed to replace Wright beginning in March. Members are appointed or re-appointed to the MTC governing board every four years.

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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Note to editors: Color photos of Commissioner Rubin and Commissioner McLemore are available at <www.mtc.ca.gov/news/photos/>.

 

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