Former Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Joe Reardon was named the new president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority today.
Reardon was selected because of his unique qualifications to bring different areas together, according to officials, who made the announcement at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.
“Joe Reardon is uniquely qualified to take this organization forward,” Robbie Makinen, chairman of the ATA board, said. “We intend to realize our vision of becoming a fully integrated, regional transit system and Joe has demonstrated an ability to cross state lines and build coalitions to advance important issues. We are honored and privileged to have a leader of Joe’s caliber at the helm.”
Reardon is currently an attorney with McAnany, Van Cleave and Phillips. He will become the full-time president and CEO of the ATA in mid-March, according to the announcement. Reardon served as mayor of Kansas City, Kan., for eight years. He did not seek re-election in 2013.
The KCATA currently is undergoing some changes.
According to the KCATA staff, as of Feb. 1 the KCATA is managing and administering the Jo Transit in a partnership with Johnson County, which will include fuel purchasing, scheduling and other administrative tasks.
The KCATA also is currently involved with a regional branding effort, RideKC, that will be launched with its streetcar effort, said Bridget Moss, ATA public affairs manager. A streetcar line is being added in the future in Kansas City, Mo.
“The big push for the ATA in the coming years will be increased regional cooperation,” Moss said. “The roads don’t stop at county or state lines and we need to design a transit system that works for the entire region, with investment from the region and benefits for the region. It really creates a strong community when there is strong transit.”
Several of Reardon’s achievements during his two terms as Kansas City, Kan., mayor and CEO included the opening of Sporting Park soccer stadium, the Cerner office project, Village West Luxury Apartments Complex and the Sunfresh grocery store at Prescott Plaza.
Reardon also is an advocate of public transportation, credited for the introduction of Sunday bus service in Kansas City, Kan., the only community in Kansas to provide any regular bus service on Sundays. Under his leadership as mayor, the first major transit center in the history of the city was built, and a strong partnership with KCATA was forged to support several other significant transportation projects through an FTA TIGER grant.
In addition to being a strong supporter of public transit in the Kansas City region, Reardon has been a proponent of bi-state, regional cooperation. Reardon negotiated the first Google Fiber development agreement in the country, successfully competing against over 1,100 municipalities that had submitted proposals to Google for the project. He then worked with Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James to create the bi-state innovations team to bridge the gap between the two cities and states to look for creative ways to leverage Google Fiber across the region.
Reardon currently teaches an MBA class on regionalism and has partnered with Rockhurst University, the Greater Kansas City Chamber and others to support a regional forum for chief elected officials from across the Greater Kansas City area.
“I am honored by the trust the KCATA Board of Commissioners is placing in me,” Reardon said. “Regional transit faces a good many challenges in the days and years ahead, but I can’t think of a more worthy mission. Public transportation is the glue that holds communities together. I look forward to working with our partners throughout the region to secure public transit’s financial sustainability, and to build a more dynamic and integrated regional transit system.”
The national search for the president and CEO was conducted by EFL Associates. The selection process included input from transit customers and regional stakeholders. The selection panel consisted of a bi-state committee of KCATA board commissioners.
Reardon succeeds Mark Huffer, who resigned as general manager of the KCATA last August.