News Release

Antelope Valley Transit Authority

1031 West Avenue L-12

Lancaster CA 93534

661-945-9445 fax 661-726-2615

Date: March 25, 2004

Contact: Pam Holland, AVTA PIO

(661) 729-2222

pholland@avta.com

AVTransit Authority Names New Executive Director

LANCASTER – The Board of Directors for the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) has named Jeffery J. O’Keefe the new Executive Director of AVTA. O’Keefe was previously the CEO and General Manager of the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (GBTA) in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

O’Keefe will replace David Ashcraft who has served as the Interim Executive Director since the November departure of Bill Budlong. Budlong had performed in AVTA’s top position from the beginning days of the Transit Agency in 1992. O’Keefe will assume his position as Executive Director for AVTA on June 23, 2004.

With an extensive background in public transportation, O’Keefe holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration, with honors, from California State University, Northridge and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Kent State University in Ohio.

Prior to his appointment with GBTA, O’Keefe worked several years with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) as the Service Operations Director, and Division Maintenance Manager, where he provided direct leadership for the county’s second largest bus division.

O’Keefe’s 14-year employment with ATC/Vancom, Inc. placed him in the positions of General Manager for the Santa Clarita Transit; as Director of Business Development & Operations for Citizens Area Transit in Las Vegas, Nevada; Director of Planning, Finance, Administration and MIS, also in Las Vegas; and as Manager of Operations for the Phoenix Transit System in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Jeff is going to be a valuable asset to AVTA and to the Antelope Valley. As a Board we were thrilled with his past experience in transportation and with Joint Powers of Authority,” said Board Chairman Henry Hearns. “His list of professional accomplishments put him way ahead of other candidates for this position. We look forward to AVTA achieving great things with Jeff O’Keefe as Exective Director.”

Among his many accomplishments, O’Keefe is a full voting board director for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and an active member of the Legislative Committee focused on reauthorizing and expanding the current TEA 21 legislation. He also serves on APTA’s Programming and Planning Committee and its Small Operators Steering Committee.

O’Keefe has served as a project member on the design, engineering and construction of two transit maintenance and operations facilities and one Intermodal Transit Facility. He has created and implemented several customized software programs specifically designed to address complex transit operation needs. He has developed, negotiated and implemented contracts for transit service in Arizona, Nevada, and California.

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