IL: With massive board exodus, new leaders step up at Pace

Amid churn at the CTA and Metra over the years, leadership at Pace has remained relatively stable, with its board composed mostly of current and former mayors.

That changed this month. As a result of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, the suburban bus agency underwent a refresh with about 75% of the board's members exiting and a slew of newcomers taking office.

Three incumbents remain, including Romeoville Mayor John Noak, who was selected as Pace board chair on Sept. 16.

I was honored that I was the only one nominated and my colleagues were supportive of my becoming chairman," said Noak, who is also a member of the powerful NITA board that oversees Pace, Metra and the CTA.

The incoming Pace directors "bring a wealth of background that can be helpful to the agency. And, we still have a great staff that has an infinite amount of institutional knowledge," he added.

What will this mean for bus riders?

Stay tuned, as Pace prepares to reveal a draft of its ReVision plan to "reimagine bus service" in October.

ReVision debuted in 2024 during a transit funding crisis. Pace surveyed riders on options such as running buses every 15 to 30 minutes seven days a week, and expanding routes across the suburbs, which were contingent on additional revenues.

ReVision includes "an approach of balancing enhancement of existing service but also looking at expansion into areas where there are opportunities to provide new service as well," Noak said.

Those improvements are more tangible after the NITA Act pumped millions into public transit by raising sales taxes and shifting some state road fund revenues to trains and buses.

Who's on first The NITA legislation slimmed the Pace board from 13 to 11 members and resulted in the departure of 10 directors.

The newbies include: Sugar Grove's Brian Dahl, who is a Painters District Council labor union executive; former Libertyville trustee and finance professional Matthew Hickey; Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins; labor lawyer Natasha Jenkins of Chicago; civil engineer Luis Montgomery of Arlington Heights; urban planner Rosa Ortiz of Chicago; Roselle Mayor David Pileski; and Karen Tamley, CEO of Access Living.

Dahl, Hoskins, Montgomery, Ortiz and Pileski are also NITA directors.

Noak has served as Romeoville mayor since 2009 and is also a Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning board member and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus chair. From 2000 to 2008, he was communications director for former Republican U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert.

His Capitol Hill stint overlapped with Tom Kotarac, a former top aide for Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

On Sept. 10, Noak nominated Kotarac to be NITA's first chair.

"We've kind of come full circle," Noak said. "My goal is just to work with people to do the best for our shared constituencies, residents and riders."

Pace Chair Rick Kwasneski retired in August after 24 years on the board. He cited Pace's popular Bus on Shoulder program, the introduction of hybrid and electric vehicles, and new paratransit rideshare services as top accomplishments.

"Public transportation is essential to the strength of our communities, and I am proud of the work we have done to expand service, modernize the agency, and build a strong foundation for the future, Kwasneski said.

Other outgoing Pace Directors include: former Wilmette Village President Chris Canning; former Willow Springs Village President Terry Carr; River Grove Mayor David Guerin; Orland Hills Mayor Kyle Hastings; former Elmhurst Mayor Tom Marcucci; Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod; Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke; former Hainesville Mayor Linda Soto; and Rachel Arfa, Chicago Mayors Office for People with Disabilities commissioner.

Directors Terry Wells, the Phoenix mayor, and former Lakewood Village President Erin Smith returned to the board.

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IL: With massive board exodus, new leaders step up at Pace

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