First Transit announces that Vasti Amaro has joined the First Transit team as director of business development.
Senior Vice President Keith Whalen stated, “Vasti Amaro has a wealth of passenger transport experience and expertise, and a career that spans 23 years in both the public and private sectors. We are pleased to have her join our team.”
Amaro began her transportation career with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) in Tampa, Florida; and, also spent 13 years at TransDev in various positions. Having joined the executive team of Tectran in 2010, Amaro served as senior vice president of east region operations and played a key role in the company’s acquisition by Keolis.
In 2011, Amaro assisted Broward County, Florida, with the parking and valet contract at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Airport. In 2013, she Incorporated Vasti Transport Inc., a disadvantage based enterprise (DBE) headquartered in Tampa Bay, providing transportation and logistics consulting. Her most recent assignment was director of maintenance for HART managing 189 buses, 56 paratransit vehicles with a mix of diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG), as well as ten streetcars.
Amaro studied business management at the University of Phoenix. She is also a graduate of the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) at Rutgers University and the TransDev Leadership at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR).She serves as chair of the WTS Women Owned Business Roundtable and is president of the Tampa Bay Chapter. She also serves on the Florida Public Transit Association Board and the Advisory Board of Women of Color Golf.
