Sunline Transit Agency CEO/GM Lauren Skiver leaving after 9 years
Sunline Transit Agency's CEO/General Manager Lauren Skiver will step down from the position after 9 years, the company announced on Wednesday.
Skiver has accepted a position as Chief Operating Officer with Transdev U.S. – the largest private operator and integrator of multiple modes of transportation in the U.S.
She will remain at Sunline until March. SunLine Transit Agency’s Board of Directors is in the process of seeking her successor, the company said in its announcement.
Last month, Skiver spoke with Peter Daut about the changes coming to Suline this year
Skiver joined the Sunline Transit Agency in Sept. 2013. She's been in the transit industry for more than 25 years. Before joining she was the CEO of the State of Delaware Transit Corporation (DART). She was also the Deputy COO of Core Services for the State of Maryland Transit Administration.
In the past year under Skiver’s leadership, the Agency has won three awards including the Community Transportation Association of America’s Urban Transportation System of the Year, Transit Agency of the Year Award by the California Transit Association, and the Excellence in Transportation Awards by Caltrans for its public awareness campaign.
“Under Lauren’s tenure, a number of major initiatives have been implemented at SunLine Transit Agency,” said Glenn Miller, Chairperson of the Board for SunLine Transit Agency. “The Board sincerely thanks Lauren for her accomplishments leading SunLine. She has a tremendous amount of transit knowledge that will help agencies around the country, and we wish her the best in this exciting new role.”
In 2017, Skiver brought to the Agency the concept of “rethinking transit” – which evolved into a major initiative that delivered a “right fit” transit system known as SunLine Refueled. It included a consolidated fixed route network, a new microtransit service, and a commuter route to San Bernardino.
Skiver has contributed to the advancement of the public transportation industry as a whole. She led the charge for the development of the West Coast Center of Excellence in Zero Emission Technology and Renewable Energy, which provides a comprehensive workforce training program in transportation technologies.
Her legacy at SunLine includes her role in helping the Agency secure grant funding to further the Agency’s hydrogen program. Over the years, she worked closely with federal and state agencies to apply and obtain unprecedented levels of competitive funding for the region in the amount of $87 million.
Additionally, she oversaw the implementation of new groundbreaking infrastructure, including the largest hydrogen production fueling station dedicated to transit in the U.S.
Efforts to strengthen the workforce were also implemented as Skiver worked to introduce a culture of excellence and performance management. She was instrumental in developing SunLine’s own university program (SunLine University) – designed to train and engage employees. The program includes four tracks to support staff from entry level through executive management.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with an extraordinary team to achieve a number of exciting milestones that have continued to reaffirm SunLine’s position as a leader in cutting-edge clean fuel technologies and transit service delivery,” Skiver said.
