People on the move: BATA, Amtrak, Trinity Metro, Denver RTD, VRE, WTS International

The Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA), Amtrak, Trinity Metro, the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and WTS International have made new appointments to their respective leadership teams.

BATA names new executive director 

BATA has selected Jeff Meilbeck as its new executive director. Meilbeck has more than 25 years of transit and municipal leadership experience. 

His previous experience includes working as the CEO and general manager of the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority in Flagstaff, Ariz., and the executive director of MetroPlan, Flagstaff’s Metropolitan Planning Organization. He also worked as the interim city manager for the city of Flagstaff and numerous other public service roles.  

“We’re excited to add Jeff’s leadership skills to the BATA Team,” said BATA Board of Directors Chairman Wayne Schmidt. “His experience will be valuable as BATA continues to grow and collaborates with our region’s new metropolitan planning organization. The entire BATA Board would like to thank Chris Davis for her outstanding job serving as BATA’s interim executive director these past few months as we completed this important process.” 

Meilbeck will start in his new role Oct. 1. 

Amtrak Board approves next executive vice president  

The Amtrak Board of Directors has approved Costin Corneanu as executive vice president, chief financial officer. In his new role, Corneanu will be responsible for planning, directing and overseeing all financial activities for the organization.   

Corneanu has been serving as deputy chief financial officer since January. Prior to Amtrak, Corneanu spent eight years at Spirit Airlines and four years at US Airways. 

“Since joining Amtrak in 2020, Costin has been a cornerstone of our financial leadership, bringing deep expertise and strategic insight to the table,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “As we navigate this historic surge in demand, he’s exactly who we need to guide our finance team as we reimagine what modern rail travel can be.”   

Corneanu will begin his new role at Amtrak on Aug. 4, succeeding Tracie Winbigler, who will retire from Amtrak on Jan. 1, 2026. Until then, Winbigler will remain in her executive vice president role as chief transformation officer, leading the procurement and real estate teams.  

Trinity Metro names next COO 

Reed Lanham has been named COO for Trinity Metro following an exhaustive nationwide search. Previously vice president of rail, he has held a variety of leadership roles since joining the agency in 2015. 

Under his leadership, Trinity Metro says its TEXRail has experienced a 12 to 13 percent annual growth rate and has been one of the commuter rail lines to rebound most quickly post-pandemic. During his tenure, Lanham played key roles in the start-up of TEXRail, led the implementation of regional Positive Train Control and partnered with Dallas Area Rapid Transit on the development of Trinity Railway Express. 

“Reed’s nearly 20 years of transportation expertise, leadership abilities and track record of delivering results make him a natural fit for this role,” said Trinity Metro President and CEO Richard Andreski. “He fosters a culture of high performance, teamwork, innovation and efficiency. As a collaborative leader, he excels at building partnerships and has negotiated and executed $469 million in contracts.” 

Denver RTD promotes Greg Smith to deputy COO of bus operations 

Denver RTD has promoted Greg Smith to deputy COO of bus operations from his previous role of acting assistant general manager of bus operations.  

Over a career in public transportation exceeding two decades, Smith has managed fixed-route bus, paratransit and demand-response services. He has extensive experience in transit service delivery, maintenance, safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and financial management and oversight. Smith joined the agency in 2006 as a service planner and scheduler and progressively served in management positions within special services, contracted services and bus operations. 

Upon being promoted to deputy assistant general manager of bus operations in 2020, Smith oversaw Denver RTD’s contracted and agency-operated bus service delivery and compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also led the renegotiation of complex service delivery contracts and service modifications that significantly improved the agency’s financial position. 

VRE appoints next general counsel  

VRE has appointed MinhChau Corr as its new general counsel, succeeding longtime general counsel Steve MacIsaac, who will retire in September.   

Corr brings to the role over two decades of legal experience, including 15 years with the Arlington County Attorney’s Office—five of which she served as county attorney.   

“MinhChau’s deep understanding of regional transportation law and her previous experience working with regional transportation partners and providers make her an exceptional choice for general counsel,” said VRE Operations Board Chair Sarah Bagley. “We are confident her leadership will strengthen our legal and policy work as VRE’s system continues to evolve to meet the needs of our riders.”  

WTS International appoints next CEO and executive director of WTS International and WTS Foundation 

WTS International has appointed Malika Reed Wilkins, Ph.D., as its next CEO and executive director of WTS International and the WTS Foundation, effective Aug. 18 

Wilkins brings more than 25 years of leadership in nonprofit management, public policy and strategic marketing and communications. She joins WTS International from the Atlanta Regional Commission, where she served for over eight years, most recently as chief strategy officer and chief external affairs officer.  

“It is an honor to lead WTS International at this transformative moment in the organization’s history,” Wilkins said. “WTS has long served as a catalyst for women’s advancement in transportation. I am excited to build on this momentum, elevate new voices and deepen our collective impact across communities and generations.”