Transportation management association taps new executive director
One of Central Texas' transportation-focused organizations has a new executive director.
Movability, an Austin-based transportation management association focused on identifying transportation solutions for businesses, announced Wednesday that its board of directors selected Lonny Stern to helm the nonprofit organization.
Stern taking on the role comes as multiple major transportation projects are beginning, including a transformational light rail project in Project Connect, plans to widen Interstate 35 through Austin by the Texas Department of Transportation and coming expansions at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
"I'm eager to be working with Movability at this moment because it's only going to be a year or two before every major corridor is under construction," Stern told the American-Statesman on Wednesday. "Even if it's OK today, we're going to be experiencing a lot of pressure in those commutes, and figuring out solutions to get people out of the traffic is really motivating me for this time rather than just working on any one piece of the transportation puzzle."
Stern is moving to Movability from the Austin Transit Partnership, a local government corporation created to deliver Project Connect.
Expansion at CapMetro: All told, CapMetro's new HQ will cost north of $100 million. Is it worth it?
Movability's current executive director, Lisa Kay Pfannenstiel, will step down after more than four years leading the organization. “I am honored to have worked with this amazing group of Central Texans and will watch with excitement as Movability with Lonny at the helm brings more mobility options to this growing region," she said in a news release.
A transportation management association is a type of public-private organization that offers education to its member businesses and employees about transportation alternatives and ways to improve air quality in a certain area. Movability, which was launched in 2012 and overseen by a board of directors mostly composed of Austin-area government officials and business leaders, focuses on Central Texas.
Government and organization members at Movability include the city of Austin, the Downtown Austin Alliance and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Participating businesses include Google, Whole Foods, Indeed and others, according to Movability's website.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Movability board taps Lonny Stern as new executive director
