Owen P. O’Neil, director of planning at Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANta), has been named the next executive director. The action to appoint Mr. O’Neil was taken at the Sept. 23 meeting of the LANta Board of Directors. He will succeed Armando V. Greco who is retiring in January 2015 after serving the Authority for some 37 years.
“For nearly four decades LANta and the people of the Lehigh Valley have been ably served by the leadership of Armand Greco,” Michelle Griffin-Young, LANta chair, said. “The board spent 2 months seriously identifying and interviewing nationwide candidates before selecting Owen. We now look forward to his leadership in helping our community continue to grow with quality and forward-looking public transportation,” she added.
O’Neil joined the LANta staff in 2010 bringing with him a background in transportation planning as well as industry consulting. He has served in planning positions at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and Philadelphia’s SEPTA.
Prior to joining LANta O’Neil was a senior policy analyst at Abrams-Cherwony Group of Gannett Fleming Inc. In that role he was instrumental in developing Moving LANta Forward, the twelve-year strategic plan under which LANta is currently operating.
At LANta O’Neil has designed and implemented a comprehensive service restructure and introduced electronic public information products including Bus Tracker, a real-time bus arrival program available on smartphones, online and traditional telephone platforms. In addition, he leads LANta’s land use outreach program working with community and business leaders to ensure transit plays an integral role in future economic growth in the Lehigh Valley. He also has developed LANtaFlex service, a flexible, demand-response service in lower density communities.
At the Sept. 23 board meeting Young recognized the work of the Human Resources Committee and its chairman Peter Schweyer for the lengthy and extensive search that led to the appointment. “Mr. Schweyer’s committee has dedicated an extensive amount of time over the last several months to make sure this effort was comprehensive and effective,” she said.
A native of Massachusetts, he is a graduate of Saint Michael’s College in Vermont, and earned a Master of Community Planning Degree from the University of Rhode Island. He completed several professional development programs including Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association’s (PPTA) Transit Executive Leadership Seminar series, and American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) leadership class in 2012.
O’Neil has served with both civic and professional organizations including: co-chair of PPTA Legislative Affairs Committee; APTA Sustainability Affairs and Urban Design Committee; Leadership APTA Committee 2013; and the Pennsylvania Planning Association.
A resident of Lower Macungie Township, O’Neil is married and has two daughters.
