NOACA Board Elects Cleveland Planning Director Robert N. Brown President for 2007

At their January 12 meeting, the NOACA Governing Board unanimously elected Cleveland Planning Director Robert N. Brown to serve as president of the NOACA Governing Board for calendar year 2007. Brown served as first vice-president in 2006.

“It is truly an honor to serve as NOACA Governing Board president,” said Brown. “I thank Medina County Commissioner Steve Hambley for his wise and skillful leadership, and hope to accomplish as much as he did as [immediate past] president. I look forward to working with NOACA Executive Director Howard Maier and the NOACA staff on the agency’s transportation and environmental projects, especially implementing the regional pavement management program, in which the City of Cleveland has heightened interest.”

In addition to Brown, the new 2007 officers elected by the Board include:

First Vice-President: Mary E. Samide, Geauga County Commissioner*
Second Vice-President: William M. Grace, Mayor, City of Elyria*
Secretary: James R. Gills, P.E., P.S., Lake County Engineer*
Assistant Secretary: Deborah Sutherland, Mayor, Bay Village
Assistant Secretary: Betty C. Blair, Lorain County Commissioner*
Treasurer: Peter Lawson Jones, Cuyahoga County Commissioner*
Assistant Treasurer: Erwin J. Odeal, Director of NEORSD (Cuyahoga County)
Assistant Treasurer: Robert E. Aufuldish, Lake County Commissioner*
* - Denotes Executive Committee Member

In addition to the above officers indicated by asterisks, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and immediate past Board President Stephen D. Hambley, Medina County Commissioner, will serve as NOACA Executive Committee members during the next calendar year. The Executive Committee acts as a liaison to the Governing Board, and and provides advice to the Executive Director and staff between board meetings.

In other business, NOACA staff introduced OhioRideshare, a new Web-based carpool ridematching service that enhances NOACA’s current Rideshare program. Beginning Tuesday, January 16, commuters may register with OhioRideshare at www.ohiorideshare.com and conduct searches for potential carpool partners online with immediate results. The online service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. OhioRideshare registrants contact potential partners directly via e-mail to discuss schedules, driving preferences and commuting needs. Registrants with questions about the service or about their match results can still reach a NOACA staff member by calling 1-800-825-RIDE.

OhioRideshare is a collaborative effort by three Northeast Ohio transportation planning agencies: Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (Akron-Canton metropolitan area), Eastgate Regional Council of Governments (Youngstown-Warren metropolitan area) and NOACA (Cleveland-Lorain metropolitan area).