Spokane Transit appoints UD board member Brandon Rapez-Betty as COO
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
(As reported in Mass Transit)
Spokane Transit Authority (STA) selected Brandon Rapez-Betty to be the new chief operations officer.
Rapez-Betty has served as STA's director of communications and customer service and as a member of the executive team since 2018. He first joined STA as a senior communication specialist in 2014, and in 2017 was promoted to customer and community relations manager. In recognition of his leadership, he was soon given responsibility for the customer service department as well as plaza operations.
In 2017, Rapez-Betty was named a ‘Rising Star’ by the Spokane Journal of Business and one of the “40 Under 40” in Mass Transit magazine. Recently, he completed the Washington State Transit Association leadership program, Transit’s Next Leader Institute.
Rapez-Betty received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Eastern Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic for nearly two and a half years teaching and implementing environmental health projects. For five years before joining STA, he supported community building and economic development efforts in the University District working for the Downtown Spokane Partnership. He currently serves on the executive committee of the University District Development Association Board of Directors.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue serving STA and the people of our region in this new capacity," said Rapez-Betty. "I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead as we work to bring new systems, technologies and improved transit services to the cities we serve."
Perhaps the most important perspective Rapez-Betty will bring to his new role leading a very capable operations teams is his understanding and commitment to the customer experience. In his current position, he has elevated the style and quality of STA’s communication to both customers and employees and improved the appeal of transit information. He has led technology projects to make real-time data even more useful to riders.
As Chief Operations Officer, Rapez-Betty will oversee fixed route bus services, paratransit services and the vanpool program including transportation activities, vehicle maintenance and facility maintenance. He will administer the staffing and operational budget of approximately $58 million per year with over 600 employees.
"Brandon has been extremely successful in his current role. With his approachable leadership style and focus on the customer, I’m confident he will be equally successful leading our operations team," said STA CEO E. Susan Meyer.
Rapez-Betty assumed leadership of the operations division on Jan. 3. The search for a new director of communications and customer service will begin soon.
