The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) board of directors today elected officers for 2021 and announced the addition of three new members to represent Fulton and Clayton Counties and the City of Atlanta.

Stacy Blakley, Katie Powers, and Reginald Snyder will join the board in January, replacing outgoing members Alicia M. Ivey, Jerry Griffin, and Dr. Roderick E. Edmond, respectively.

“I want to thank Ms. Ivey, Mr. Griffin, and Dr. Edmond for their leadership and guidance while serving on the MARTA Board of Directors. They consistently provided valuable insight and were instrumental in making policy decisions surrounding transit expansion and passage of the 15^th Amendment,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker. “I am pleased to welcome their successors to the board and am confident they are up to the challenge as we begin the work of pandemic recovery.”

Blakley is a civil engineer and founder and CEO of Douglas Consulting Group. She was appointed by the Fulton County Commission and joins board members Freda B. Hardage and J. Al Pond in representing Fulton County. Powers is a former Assistant District Attorney for Clayton County and current Superior Court Judge. She was appointed by the Clayton County Commission and will represent Clayton along with board member Roberta Abdul-Salaam. Snyder, an attorney and partner at Taylor English, LLP, will join Robert L. Ashe and Ryan Glover in representing the City of Atlanta. He was appointed by the Atlanta City Council.

The board also elected new officers for the upcoming year. DeKalb County board representative Rita Scott will serve as the new chair with Clayton representative Roberta Abdul-Salaam serving as vice-chair. “This is an honor and I am deeply moved by your support,” said Ms. Scott. “I want to acknowledge the hard work shown by this board and the entire MARTA staff during what has been a difficult year for everyone, and I look forward to working together to meet the many challenges that lie ahead.”

The 2021 MARTA Board Officers:

• Rita Scott is elected Chair

• Roberta Abdul-Salaam is elected as Vice-Chair

• Rod Frierson is elected as Secretary

• Robbie Ashe is elected as Treasurer

• Freda Hardage will serve as Immediate Past Chair

The MARTA board of directors is comprised of 13 voting members representing Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton counties and the City of Atlanta, as well as two ex-officio members from the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. The policy-setting board meets monthly to address challenges and opportunities facing the Authority, while exploring ways to innovate and expand the system. 

Board calendars and meeting minutes can be found at  www.itsmarta.com/bod-overview.aspx