Michael Lively graduated with two business degrees from the University of Toledo, in Toledo, Ohio. Presented with the opportunity to be a part of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) first Management Development Program straight out of college, he soon found himself in the thick of an exciting career in transit.
He has been with RTA for more than six years and has worn several different hats in those years. During the Management Development Program, Lively rotated throughout the company working as a business analyst in marketing, budget, transit police, human resources and operations. After completing the program, he worked in the operations division leading special projects, such as partnering with NASA and Sierra Lobo on a “zero emissions” transit project with a new green technology hydrogen vehicle … the first ever to operate in service in the state of Ohio.
Lively is a two-time recipient of RTA's “Taking Stock Award,” but says his greatest professional accomplishment is becoming a manager with RTA. Lively is currently the manager of Operations Analysis, Research & Systems, an ITS section within the Service Management department of the Operations Division. His day-to-day responsibilities consist of managing and supporting his team while having his hands in the major software that keeps RTA running efficiently from HASTUS, TransitMaster, to UltraMain.
In only three years in the department, Lively, along with his team, have made tremendous process improvements, and look forward to making the systems stronger and more reliable for the authority and its many customers.
In May, 2014, Lively graduated from the American Public Transportation Association’s Early Career Program’s inaugural class. With the program, he completed a final research project with his group and their external mentors where they discussed everything from labor relations to work-life balance to examples of how to be a successful leader.
Lively attributes his work ethic to his father, whom he said is one of the hardest working men he’s ever known. He also knows about discipline through marathon training. He has completed six marathons since he took on his first marathon about two years ago, and qualified for the Boston Marathon three times.
Lively was born and raised in Massillon, Ohio, and currently lives in Stow with his wife Tiffany, whom he met his junior year of high school. They have been together 11 years and serve the Greater Cleveland RTA in different departments. Outside of their RTA life, he and Tiffany enjoy taking walks in their neighborhood, spending time with family and traveling.
“I enjoy public transportation because you touch people’s lives every day. It doesn’t matter what your role in the authority is, you make a difference to each and every rider.”
“Outside of work, running is my passion. It’s a great way to relieve stress, plan your day or have downtime alone. Running a marathon is similar to life. You establish a goal and along the journey to that goal, you’ll experience highs, lows and personal doubts; however, as long as you never give up, you will accomplish your goal!”
