Charles Stewart has been appointed by the Bi-State Development (BSD) to be executive director of St. Louis Metro Transit, effective April 26.
Stewart has served as interim executive director of St. Louis Metro since Jan. 26, 2022. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day transit operations of the 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; a 400-vehicle MetroBus fleet including battery-electric and low-emission diesel buses; and the Metro Call-A-Ride paratransit system.
“Since taking on this critical position, Charles has assumed the leadership of Metro Transit with enthusiasm, bringing a future-focused momentum to our transit system,” said BSD President and CEO Taulby Roach. “He is the steadfast leader we need to help guide Metro Transit as we move past the pandemic to improve operations, grow our ridership and deliver world-class services to our communities.”
Stewart added, “It is an honor to be able to lead this incredible team of professionals we have at Metro Transit. Every day, they serve our region with tireless dedication as we continue to focus on our top priority – to provide safe, reliable and convenient transit services for everyone in the bi-state region.”
Stewart also retains his duties as BSD executive vice president of organizational effectiveness, the position he held when he was appointed interim executive director. In this capacity, he is responsible for the recruitment, hiring, development and retention of a diverse workforce of more than 2,000 team members. In his 10 years with Bi-State Development, Stewart was also the vice president of pension and insurance, where he led the restructure of the organization’s retirement system and benefits plans, moving pension plans toward 100 percent fully-funded status and creating a strong system for fiscal reporting and oversight.
Prior to joining Bi-State Development, Stewart served in a variety of positions with the City of St. Louis, including director of internal audit and chief of staff for the License Collector, as well as audit positions with General Dynamics Corporation and Arthur Young & Company.
Stewart is a member of the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants, and board member for United Way of Greater St. Louis and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. He holds a Certificate in Professional Accounting from Northwestern University, a MBA from the Amos Tuck School and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Dartmouth College.
