The Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) recently appointed Kelly Turner, of Springfield, MO, as the Vice President of its Board of Directors, and Mark Mehmert, of Jefferson City, MO, as the Treasurer and Secretary at its June 5 Board meeting. Turner and Mehmert will work alongside fellow board members to help fulfill the association’s purpose of providing a unified voice for public and specialized transportation providers in Missouri and work toward elevating the status of public transit as a national priority.
Kelly Turner is the Director of Transit with City Utilities of Springfield. Kelly began his role as Director of Transit at City Utilities of Springfield in May 2015. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Missouri, and received his Civil Engineering degree from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. Prior to his role at City Utilities, Kelly spent 11 years in the private sector as a consulting engineer focusing on project management and business development in the transportation industry.
Mark Mehmert serves as the Transit Director for Jefferson City, Missouri, and is responsible for the operation of JEFFTRAN, Jefferson City’s public transportation system. Mark has over 11 years of experience in the transportation field and holds a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from William Woods University. He has also worked at the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) and the Missouri Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (MOICC). Mark’s work at JEFFTRAN centers on improvements to JEFFTRAN’s services and integrating new technologies into the transit system. JEFFTRAN traces its roots to Jefferson City’s 1912 streetcar system, and works to fulfill its mission to improve Jefferson City’s overall quality of life by providing convenient, reliable and affordable transit services.
The current executive director of the MPTA, Kimberly Cella, and the MPTA’s staff provide legislative liaison services and its office serves as a central clearinghouse for member information and requests for assistance. The association has developed a variety of programs to facilitate education and networking among transit professionals in Missouri. Membership in MPTA is open to anyone who has an interest in the future of public transit in Missouri. Transit system members range from large urban systems to single vehicle agencies in the most rural counties of the state. Affiliate members include representatives of sheltered workshops, community organizations, citizen advocacy groups, government and quasi-government agencies and industry suppliers.