March 25, 2025 • 36 mins
Monica Tèllez-Fowler is the President/CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the mobility organization providing service to Columbus and the Central Ohio region. Since joining COTA in March 2023, she has served as Chief Operating Officer before she was promoted to Deputy CEO in May 2023. In May 2024, she became COTA’s new President/CEO, after a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees.
During her time at COTA, Monica successfully negotiated an industry-leading labor contract with Transport Workers Union 208, implemented and oversaw the organization’s transformative Paid Family Leave Policy, and led improvements to transit service following a national workforce shortage. She also leads COTA in the LinkUS Mobility Initiative, which is the region’s mobility plan to bring rapid transit solutions and transportation options to accommodate major population growth in Central Ohio.Prior to COTA, she served as the Deputy CEO/Treasurer of Clark County Public Transit Benefit Area Authority (C-TRAN) in Vancouver, Washington. While at C-TRAN, Tellez-Fowler was responsible for more than $100 million in annual operations and capital budgets and represented the authority on a $3.5 billion Interstate 5 bridge replacement megaproject across the Columbia River on the Washington-Oregon border. While at C-TRAN, the organization earned Outstanding Transportation System of the Year twice, first in 2019 and again in 2022.
Before joining C-TRAN, Tèllez-Fowler was the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Trinity Metro in Fort Worth, Texas, where she oversaw the New Starts Federal Transit Administration grant application process for TEXRail, a $1 billion, 27-mile commuter rail between downtown Fort Worth and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.Tellez-Fowler earned a Masters of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s of Business Administration from Tarleton State University, graduating as a distinguished scholar. She lives in Gahanna.
During her time at COTA, Monica successfully negotiated an industry-leading labor contract with Transport Workers Union 208, implemented and oversaw the organization’s transformative Paid Family Leave Policy, and led improvements to transit service following a national workforce shortage. She also leads COTA in the LinkUS Mobility Initiative, which is the region’s mobility plan to bring rapid transit solutions and transportation options to accommodate major population growth in Central Ohio.Prior to COTA, she served as the Deputy CEO/Treasurer of Clark County Public Transit Benefit Area Authority (C-TRAN) in Vancouver, Washington. While at C-TRAN, Tellez-Fowler was responsible for more than $100 million in annual operations and capital budgets and represented the authority on a $3.5 billion Interstate 5 bridge replacement megaproject across the Columbia River on the Washington-Oregon border. While at C-TRAN, the organization earned Outstanding Transportation System of the Year twice, first in 2019 and again in 2022.
Before joining C-TRAN, Tèllez-Fowler was the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Trinity Metro in Fort Worth, Texas, where she oversaw the New Starts Federal Transit Administration grant application process for TEXRail, a $1 billion, 27-mile commuter rail between downtown Fort Worth and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.Tellez-Fowler earned a Masters of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s of Business Administration from Tarleton State University, graduating as a distinguished scholar. She lives in Gahanna.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Columbus and Central Ohio have a rich history of companies
being headquartered here, everything from technology, manufacturing, retail, insurance, and more.
But what about the leaders behind these companies? What makes
them tick? How do they get their start? This is
where you get to meet the captain of the ship.
Welcome to CEOs You Should Know and iHeartMedia Columbus Podcast.
Welcome back to another episode of CEOs You Should Know
(00:23):
and iHeartMedia Columbus Podcast. Today we're talking about something that,
whether you think so or not, really affects everyone and
it runs Central Ohio and specifically Columbus, and that is
a CODA. This is going to be a podcast episode
on everything you've ever wanted to know about CODA. Where
CODA is at, now, where CODA is going. And we've
(00:44):
got the very best, the person that is leading the
entire CODA organization. I want to welcome President and CEO
Monica Tayas Fowler with us. Monica, good to have you here.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
You've had quite the journey in the world to transportation
and I'm really looking forward to hearing how you got
to where you're at right now. But why don't. We
start first with for those that don't know, we've heard
the word CODA many many times for many many years.
But for those that don't know, what is coda.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Coda is Central Ohio's transit provider and it has been
for the past fifty years. We're growing and really we
moved from just being a transit provider to being more
a mobility provider. So what that means is we're no
longer just looking at one mode of transportation or the
(01:36):
historic this is how you move people, but we're really
trying to be innovative in how we move people across
the region and thinking about it as a whole system,
not just a bus or not just a one mode.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah, and you know nothing. I bet it will explain
that more about where CODA is going. And we'll touch
on this in just a bit. Is what passed last
fall with the levy would link us? I think I
think that might have a broader brush stroke of what
where exactly are going And we'll get to that in
just a second. But Monica, you know, looking at your bio.
(02:11):
First of all, congratulations and being named president CEO. It
was a year ago, but it took effect. What last
May is that right.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yes, the board named me in March, but I didn't
take the reins until May Joanna Pinkerton stepped down. You know,
I wanted to focus on some other things, had some
opportunities to do other things. Really excited for her, but
that kind of left us like, wow, we got to
move quickly here because we had some big stuff in.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
The works, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So I was really excited and continue to me, it's
been great.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah. And for those that don't know, you had been
with CODA in a different position, I have.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Actually I came to Columbus in twenty twenty three. I
came and joined CODA, was recruited to become the COO
chief Operating Officer, and jumped right in and then soon
thereafter stepped into the deputy CEO role. So I was
in that role for nearly a year when the president's
(03:10):
CEO role became available and the board named me.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah. Monica Tayas fowlers with us. She's the president and
CEO of CODA. This week's guest on CEOs You should
know and I hurt Media Columbus podcast. Well, Monica, if
you don't mind, I'd love to and I'm sure all
of us to get to know a little bit more
about you. Your resume speaks volumes when it comes to
the world of transportation. But where are you from? Where
(03:35):
did you grow up? Family life?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, well I grew up in Texas, originally from Dallas, Texas,
but lived all over in Texas with my husband, my family.
I think, you know, what, really kind of who I
am is It really kind of all boils down to
transit is and that's kind of interesting. I think, you know,
I was kind of going down a path. I was
(03:59):
an accountant trade but really doing some auditing work and
that stuff. I took a job with the public Transit
agency in Denton County and that's really where I got
my start. It's a smaller agency, but I think when
I got there, I realized, you know, it reminded me
of when I took transit as a child. Because I
(04:19):
grew up I had an opportunity to go to Magnet School,
but I didn't live near the school, and we didn't
have the vehicle, and my parents were worked late and
so they couldn't really take me to school. So I
rode the bus an hour each way every day to
get to this Magnet School that was through middle school.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
In high school.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And so when I got to DCTA in Denton County,
I think, I it like everything flooded for me back
to me, like this is where I belong. Transit makes
a difference and I and I realized that because I
was the first person, only person in my family to
receive a college education. But I don't think if I
had attended the Magnet School then those doors would have
(04:58):
opened up to me, like I wouldn't be an realized
the possibility there right, the opportunity in front of me.
So that kind of came flooding to me, and I
knew that transit was my place. Yeah thereafter you know,
the nice thing is that DCTA was a small agency,
but you got to wear all of the different hats.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh yeah, so you get to learn a lot and
so yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
So I kind of started still in the accounting field,
you know, really focusing on the financing of transit. You know,
how are they finance grants programs, you know, innovative financing programs, projects,
those kinds of things. But as I, you know, was
at DCTA and got to wear all the different hats,
I got interested in more and more things. So it
(05:40):
kind of just expanded my knowledge and really got to
learn a lot. I was then recruited to go to
Trinity Metro for Worth, where I served as the CFO
for some years and really kind of led a billion
dollar project through this CIG grant funding program that was
(06:00):
a really big deal. Also issued our first debt. We
received a Bond Buyer's Deal of the Year award for our.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Financing and that project.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
I didn't know there were awards that were given out
for that.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
There's awards, yes, and I mean it's really kind of
a big deal, So you know, I think it was.
It was really exciting and I really got again got
to learn a lot, got to learn a lot about projects,
got to learn a lot about infrastructure, what it takes
to get those things in but a lot of collaboration
as well. So I was recruited to Vancouver, Washington, where
(06:36):
I was the Deputy CEO Treasurer for Clark County Transit
Authority also known as c TRAN.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, oh that's it. By the way, that's a change
of scenery and pace from Texas, right.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, quite a Change's a beautiful, beautiful for sure. I
really enjoyed that there, we were really focused on growing
out our system there, so really building out a b Artisis.
But also was really exciting because there was collaboration with
stakeholders and partners. The I five bridge that connected Portland,
(07:08):
Oregon to Vancouver, Washington had to be replaced, and one
of the things that all of the partners agreed on
was that there had to be a transit component to it. Right,
I mean, there's lots of people shifting back and forth
for work and home and play and all that, and
so you know, have a transit component so that everyone
has access to that. So we were in the midst
of that when Coda came knocking at my door, and
(07:31):
you know, it was a tough decision, but somebody, you know,
the recruiter was really smart because they said, Hey, would
you just come out and visit us and let us
show your rap And that's the hook. Yeah, it's because
you know, I think initially kind of get this, like
why would I go, you know, move across the country,
(07:54):
Like I'm living in a beautiful part of the country.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Why would I do this?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
But you get to Columbus and you just feel it,
you just know it, right, and so it didn't take
long for me to be here to understand the level
of collaboration and that's required for some of these large projects.
So really kind of knowing what was possible, what was upcoming,
and then the commitment that I saw from partners, I
(08:18):
just knew this was the place for me. We have
big things to do and I want to be a
part of it.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Monica, I'm sure you've heard this before since you've been here.
They call it the Columbus Way. They actually teach it
at Harvard, so you probably felt that a little bit.
Did you feel welcome right away when you arrived?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You know what, I am very appreciative and grateful for that.
That's one thing that I think everyone really extended, you know.
How can we make you feel more comfortable? How can
how you know? They my husband's always like, oh, they
all are so nice to us. I'm like, yeah, they
want us to stick around, you know, But but yeah,
(08:56):
I think people not only you know, we're friendly and
welcome and wanted to show me around, Like what are
the things to.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Do, where to go find good food?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
You know, all of the different things, but even in work,
like how can we help you be successful? What do
you need from me having those questions, and you know,
really it's a commitment from partners because they know that
if one of us succeeds, we all succeed. And that
just comes across very clearly.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Monica Teya's of Fowlers, whether she's the president and CEO
of CODA coming up on her one year anniversary. Okay,
this is just me looking in to when you were
named CEO. When you started in May of last year, Monica,
I'm thinking you had a lot of work right away.
You had to, you know, hit the ground running hard
(09:47):
because you had a levey to start campaigning for. Right Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, wish we had done this before my evaluation. That
would have been a nice thing that not just kidding, No,
just kidding nothing. Board does very great this and generous.
I I was not intimidated by that work alone. I
think I just was unfamiliar with it. I had not
been out in front on a levee, but knowing what
(10:14):
was involved, I knew it was a heavy lift because
I've seen it done other places.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
So this is your first levee you've ever It was my.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
First levee that I passed. Yes, it's particularly a permanent levee.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Like this is that's a big thing.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
A billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Brillion dollars is huge.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So so but I think, you know, I really leaned
in on in the team that we was already in
place at CODA. They're so strong they knew what to do.
They kind of like quickly sat down with me, this
is what needs to happen. This is how we're going
to get this done. They laid out one hundred day planned,
they laid out, you know, a plan to get us
to the levee, and we were successful just following their plan.
(10:53):
And so really it was kind of a trust we
had to you know, they had to trust me. I
had to trust them. But we leaned in on each
other with each other and really got the job done.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Behind the scenes, Monica, if you don't mind pulling back
the curtain, what what was the feeling our thought before
you knew the results? Because the results for those that
don't know it was fifty seven percent to forty three percent.
You know, it passed. We'll explain what link US is
in just a bit, But what what were the thoughts?
But behind the scenes, so we have.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Been working on planning for our first corridor, transit corridor
West broad Street for some years, but we never let
up on that work.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And the reason for that was.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I think there was this idea that and this knowledge
that it's going to pass. We know it's going to pass.
It wasn't a what if it doesn't, Okay, we all
knew it had to pass.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
This was more for us.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
It's necessary for us to continue to serve the community
in the way that it needs now, but also to
prepare for the growth that we knew is coming. Right
So in order for us to be able to do that,
we knew we have to start thinking big and the
levee is just a part of that. So even if
(12:12):
it had not been successful, we knew we would have
been coming back out to the public again. So we
knew we had to keep the work going because one
thing that could not happen was that we were not
providing the service along with the growth that was happening.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. Well, Monica, what I find interesting is is the
link us levee. It passes, but it's more than just
infrastructure you would think of when it comes to Coda.
You're talking, you know, bike trails and paths and sidewalks.
I think I know the answer to this but why
(12:48):
a focus on that and not more of well, buses
and other high tech transportation.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Yeah so well, I mean, I think the whole conversation
around LINCAS has been and continues to be it's more
than just a transit initiative. You know, it shows up
as coda on the on the ballot, but it's so
much more than that. You know, what we're really looking
for is, you know, we know we're going to have
three point five billion million people by twenty fifty, right,
(13:15):
how are we going to manage those that growth without
adding a ton of congestion to our road without limiting
access to different things? And so really what we've been
focused on, it's it's about smart investments in our mobility,
whether that be rapid transit, sidewalks, bike bikeways, trails, and
(13:36):
innovation to our transportation solutions that just keep us all
moving forward.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
When we work together.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
You know, we're really focused on bringing these projects to life.
We're expanding access to opportunity and driving economic growth. The
whole idea behind you know, bike ways, sidewalks, paths, trails,
those kinds of things is not just to provide access
(14:03):
and create more connected communities, but also ultimately they have
access to CODA, and so that's that's kind of the
system we're looking for. There's options, then all of a sudden,
there's not this focus on one mode, which you know,
maybe that single occupancy vehicle has really been the focus
(14:23):
around here in the past. When you create those different options,
all of a sudden, there's opportunity for people to make
decisions about what's the right option for them. But ultimately
you're adding more people to the system when there's more
options and you're not flooding that one option that was
(14:43):
there before, which is that you know, roads.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Monica to your point of what you said earlier, and
we've heard this before, that there's going to be a
million more plus people three and a half million by
twenty fifty. It's really what it's a ludicrous, insane thought
to think, even though roads get updated, to think that
all three and a half million of those people are
(15:06):
going to be using our current roadway system. It's just
that's not feasible.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
It's not feasible exactly, and that's why we need to
think about how we're going to move those people in
different ways, give them different options.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Aside from that, we.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Know that there historically have been you know, difficult challenges
for people.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
To access different parts of.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
The city, maybe where job centers are. This this creates
that opportunity for access to for everyone across the region.
I would say that one of the things that I
continue to focus on is, you know, for us, the
second and third shift workers, you know, we don't run
(15:51):
service after a certain time, and we have been extending
that over and over, but we're excited that in May
we're actually expanding our service to midnight.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, and that.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Really opens up the opportunity for workers who are second shift,
second shift, third shift workers who really kind of drive
a lot of our region, in our city and drive
the economy, really really make things happen for us. And
so opening up our system so that they can now
access it creates different opportunities for other people as well.
(16:28):
So yeah, I mean, I think really focused on creating
a mobility system. Again. I'm going to keep going back
to that because I think we have had a system
where it's centered on cars, on personal occupancy vehicles, and
that's great for people who can afford a car, but
(16:49):
not everyone can.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
And I understand Monica America loves to drive. Central Ohio
loves to drive, but the city. Look, I've been here
since nineteen ninety nine. The city has changed dramatically. There
was a time where this city was called cowtown. I
haven't heard that term in years, even though it only
takes about twenty five thirty minutes and you can get
out to the country and it's beautiful. But times are
(17:12):
a change in so when you can, I ask you
when you came here the levee past. Of course, one
thing that Columbus City Council President Shannon Harden said this
is to the Dispatch. He said that Columbus has been
the largest city in the country without advanced transit, and
after the levee passed, he said, today we took a
(17:32):
huge step forward. Were you surprised to see just how
big I don't think people realize how big Columbus is
and that we don't necessarily have the public transportation that
we should be having.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah, well, you know, and I think I should have
covered this when you ask, you know, what is CODA.
You know, we serve over forty municipalities in all of
Franklin County, parts of Licking County, Fairfield, Union County, Delaware County,
so we we serve a large geographic area, and that's
(18:07):
pretty significant. The levy is a game changer because it
allows us not only to bring a transit system, a
mobility system that this region has never seen. Because you're right,
Council President hard And said.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
It best where we were.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
We are the largest region in the US without any
rapid transit. That is really difficult when you're trying to
move the number of people that you're that we have now,
but only to think about the fact that we're.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Going to grow, how do you manage that?
Speaker 2 (18:40):
And you have to be able to do it in
a fast a fast way as well as you know,
kind of safe and you know, really really be able
to connect people across the region without that old school
will and spoke system that used to be the case.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Right right, right, Yeah, So, Monica, I want to ask
you something that this is about the naysayers. I hear them.
I'm sure you do too, the naysayers of a public transportation.
What does a city like Columbus or a world without
public transportation look like? Meaning CODA has a tremendous effect
(19:18):
and impact on the community. Would you mind describing that
for us?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah? Well, you know, I'm going to use some stats
that we got from the American Public Transportation Association. So
public transit is more than just transit. It does drive economy.
So for every dollar spent in public transit, it ultimately
means five dollars in economic return. So you think about
(19:45):
every billion dollars that is spent, it ultimately leads to
fifty thousand more jobs in an economy. So really it
is helping drive the economy aside from lots of workforce
knows that those individuals who work in their place having
(20:06):
access to different options from ability really kind of solves
a lot of their problems, whether that be having people,
you know, having access to employees, having access to a
workforce that can come to work, whether that be absenteeism,
that kind of stuff. So I think people support it
(20:26):
for those reasons. I do understand the naysayers, but it
really kind of opens up doors for everything in terms
of driving economy.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Monica, I think I again probably know the answer to
this because we just touched on it. But so far
in the year that you've been at CODA, what would
you say, so far has been your biggest achievement.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Wow, I would probably point to I'm just really kind
of in awe of our frontline employees, admin and staff,
everyone really working together. I think one thing that I
would say that really kind of helped us in that space.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
We were able to achieve.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
A three year agreement with Transit Workers of America Local
two AWAIT, that's our the union we work with. We
were able to come to a three year agreement with them,
and it really kind of allowed us to solidify how
important those employees are with so whether they'd be those
(21:29):
skilled operators or maintenance technicians, our customer care individuals. It
has helped us in terms of really establishing a good
relationship with that group, but it also helps us be
an attractive employer in the region. We ultimately received got
(21:53):
that agreement and our Transit Workers our workforce is probably
one of the highest page brands at workforce in our
country because of that agreement. So it's it's been helpful
for us. It also allows us to keep the workforce
that we need and grow in a way that allows
us to serve the community in the way we need to. Yeah,
(22:14):
so we're well prepared to add additional people. And like
I said, we're attracted. We're an attractive employer, so people
are eager to get in the door now that and
you know, don't want to say any you know, don't
want to forget to say. Obviously, the support we received
for the link Us initiative was huge for us, and
(22:37):
so that would be something that I you know, it's
not just not just proud of, but really grateful for.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Yeah, that was a huge win for code and quite
frankly the community for that matter. When it comes to
and I just want to bring this up because I
know it pops up every once in a while. We've
also seen some heroism with our Coda drivers. Safety is
always a big conn do do you have a lot
of safety protocols in place for bus drivers for passengers?
(23:07):
We do.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Actually, you know, we have been able to drive down
any security type incidents.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
We have an SRS team that works very hard not
only to be community advocates, Uh. They make connections for individuals.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Who may need help, whether that be you know, any kind.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Of substance abuse or causing requirements, but they also help
just kind of uh focus on areas where you know,
maybe we have a larger group of individuals who might
be catching making connections at different transit centers. Their presence
there just helps kind of deter any any you know,
(23:51):
activity that we may not want. They also we have
people who are always on buses, so managing through that.
I would say that our team is, of course concerned
about safety, but that goes both ways, right. I think
people people also kind of speak up and share with
(24:12):
us what those safety concerns are, and we were very
responsive to that. I can only say that as I've
been here, I only see incidents continue to decrease over
and over. And that's impressive because since I've been here,
we've increased uh service. Almost every service change we have
we do that three times a year, and so as
(24:33):
service has increased, incidents or any safety concerns have continued
to decrease. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
And I'm sorry, Monica, did you say s R S
service sor what is that?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yeah? That's our our support strategic response okay team.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They they work really hard to respond to any kind
of incident, any kind of concerns. A bus operator may say,
you know, I see this out there, this looks you know,
maybe we need to keep an eye on that kind
of stuff.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
I didn't know you had that, by the way, I
didn't even know. That makes me feel SAE.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
They're always out there and they're always a friendly face.
So and that's what you'll find from them. They're out
there to help, whether that be a passenger and operator
or just someone and looking for help.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Monica, can I be a nerd for a second. I'm
a big techie nerd and I'm always envisioning the future
of different things. And look, this could be your idea.
This could be maybe if you're allowed to talk about it,
ideas that have been thrown against the wall for the
future of a CODA. But when it comes to the
(25:41):
technology for CODA in the future, what does it look
like in fifteen twenty, I don't know, maybe even thirty
years from now. Are we going to have and I'm
being serious, are we going to have like flying buses,
high speed rail? What kind of transportation technologies out there?
Speaker 3 (25:57):
I'm excited for this region.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
I mean, aside from from bus rapid transit, that's kind
of us being able to introduce the region to something new.
I would never put reil out of out of the
question for our for our region. I think that we
are prime for that, but we have to build up density.
You know, you don't build something like that without some
(26:21):
sort of federal funding. And you have to meet certain criteria.
We don't necessarily have the density right now to do that,
but I think that as what we're doing right now
along the corridors. We're working with so many municipalities and
they're really kind of doing their part to add housing
and businesses and you know, really kind of build out
(26:42):
that connected community so people have resources that they need.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
That kind of density really leads to the conversation of
reil in the future. That and I know morps our
partners at MORPSI are busy working on passenger rail, which
is really exciting. So US connecting to pass Jirell will
only open up that density even more. I'm so I'm excited.
I don't know if we're going to have flying buses,
(27:08):
I don't know what all of that, But what I
do know is everything we do, we're committed to doing
it with our partners and our employees that are represented
by TWU Local TOOLA.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Absolutely, you know, and Monica knowing you, you've been around
the country, you lived around the country, You've seen different
infrastructures with transportation, public transit. Are there other cities that
Columbus can model themselves after. Maybe some cities that I
don't want to use the word envious, but that you
would like to Wow, they're doing it this way. I
(27:41):
wonder if that could happen here, and maybe not just
this country, but are there are there places maybe in
Europe that you're impressed with that Columbus could learn from.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Always I mean, I always love that. I think one
of the big things I remind people is when they visit, like,
what's your favorite place to visit? Do you get on
the transit system there?
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Because people will go to.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
DC or New York or whatever and they'll say, oh,
the transit system there was amazing, But we can do
that here. We can have that here, And so that's
kind of what like my big vision, my big like.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
We are working on that.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
You start with things like introducing bus rapid transit. It's
it's a rapid transit line. So just kind of introducing
that to the region opens that up. I would love.
I think my favorite thus far has been Singapore Transit.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Yeah, what's that like?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
It's amazing. It's a large system made up with rail buses,
TNC's everything in between. Right, they have double decker buses,
but it's just it's kind of amazing. I think what
I loved about it is I went there and was
(28:59):
able to any any sight scene I wanted to do.
I was able to do it via a public transit.
I was able to figure that out without knowing any
other language other than it was in Spanish. Yeah, and
it just it was so easy. I never got lost once,
I never had trouble paying my fare, I never had
(29:22):
any trouble figuring out what what was.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
The easiest way to get there.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
And I never even asked for like help, like help
me understand this?
Speaker 1 (29:31):
Yeah, yeah, you figured it out.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Because they made it so simple. And that's what makes
a good system is making it easy and accessible.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
That's uh, that's really interesting. You know, we talked if
I could go back one more time to the amount
of people will have in twenty fifty, only because I'm
fascinated by it. Monica would what's the threshold we need
to get like a high speed rail or a passenger rail.
What's the population? Is there? A number? Is there?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
It's a density, And that's kind of a you know,
really depends on what the FEDS decide is is what
goes into the program and how they measure. It's also
very competitive when you're looking for federal funding, so it
will all kind of depend on where that those guidelines land.
(30:24):
I think we are have a little bit of some
changes right now, and so we you know, every season
is different and we just will have to decide when
we get there.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Do you think it's possible, because before you got here,
for years there have been this there's this been this
idea where the three seas Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati would somehow
connect with the rail. But do you see that and
something more locally down the road with Columbus?
Speaker 3 (30:51):
I do, I do? I do?
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I hope I get to see that happen. You know,
I keep telling the team is you know, this is
my go It's got to be done, and so I
would love to see that. We've we've got to see
some of the density, sure, and that's going to take
a lot of partners because we've got to add a
lot of housing. We have to be prepared for those
additional people moving here to our region in more ways
(31:16):
than just one. So transit is just one of those pieces.
It's kind of that infrastructure that needs to be in place.
Housing is the other piece, and I know that we
have lots of partners in our municipalities that are working
on that as well as a county, so and and
Morpsy continues to be a huge player in.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
The Yeah, it's amazing. How I mean, you've taught me
just with this conversation alone, Monica. It really takes a village,
doesn't it. It's not just CODA. It's a lot of partnerships.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
We could not do this alone. We could we could
not do this alone.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
The collaboration, the level of high level collaboration that has
to happen is incredible. It's not something that everyone can
get across. And you know, I think one of the
things that you know, what I would say is Columbuses
is really in a unique position because not only do
(32:09):
they see that growth coming, they are actually able to
kind of get ahead of it. So one of the things,
you know, you see some of the other regions across
our nation, they see that growth and they don't have
time to react to it until it's too late, and
then they're always trying to play catchup. That's very difficult.
I think we have spoken with many different people across
(32:33):
the country and one of the things that they continued
to say to us was do it now, Do it now? Right?
A lot of it is because after you start to
have that growth, it's very hard, like you're stuck with congestion,
You're stuck with this stuff and you can't you can't
build your way out of some of this stuff. And
so you know, we have leaders and partners in this region.
(32:56):
We're very fortunate for them to say, hey, we need
to be haired not reactive, so very proactive. Really kind
of aligned themselves early on, and I think one of
the things we have a chance of doing is really
modeling how to do something like growth.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Right.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
I agree with that, Monica. One thing that because I
was thinking about what you just said. We see so
many states and maybe even cities too, who are always
trying to play catch up, and you just nailed it. Historically,
we've seen that with a lot of cities where they
just have such a hard time catching up versus hey,
if they just would have funded this originally, but because
(33:37):
they know the growth is coming. Delaware County is one
of those counties too that knew the growth is coming
and they put in a lot of infrastructure before things
started to explode a decade plus ago. But is it
a funding thing? Why do we see that happen so much.
Do they not get enough funding that they maybe needed
or just didn't ask for enough. I don't know, it's
(34:00):
hard to say.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Uh, it could be.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
You know, change is a scary thing for for everyone,
So so that's always kind of a pause for people.
People people want to be certain before they move forward,
and when you talk about growth, there's never any guarantee.
There's never any you know, and so maybe people don't
want to dedicate funding to something that that is an uncertain,
(34:26):
unsure thing. It's an uncertain thing. But change is inevitable.
That's that's one of the certain things, right that taxes.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
And death is.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, So I think I think we've been very aware
of that here and have really moved on that. So
I'm excited to see that and be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
One last question to ask you one words of wisdom
to the community. Uh, just things you would like them
to know about CODA and where we're going.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Patience is probably something I would say. As I mentioned,
change is inevitable, and growth, which is we know is coming,
means change and we can either fight it or we
can jump in and help shape that growth and the
future of this region. So CODE is just one of
the many partners in our region committed to growing better,
(35:19):
but it will require some patients by everyone in our
region as we build the infrastructure that's needed in the future.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
All right, and Monica, you're a Texas girl. You've been
here for about a year now. Have you gotten adjusted
to the Buckeye culture?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
You know, it took me a minute that whole age. Yeah,
I was like, Okay, is this a cult? But I
think I'm there now. I think, you know, I don't.
I don't think I can skip saying I oh if
somebody says that, so it just comes out now. Aside
(35:58):
from that, my son is now at Ohio Stake.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Oh he is okay, so really exciting. What is he studying.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
He's finance.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Oh, finance, okay, Yeah, thanks after his mama.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Yeah, thanks after his mom.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Well, Monica, welcome to Columbus. I know I'm a little
late with that, but congratulations on all your success so
far and appreciate you leading everyone at CODA. Looking forward
to seeing what's next. Thank you. CEOs You Should Know
is hosted and produced by Brandon Boxer, a production of iHeartMedia.
Columbus
Columbus and Central Ohio have a rich history of companies
being headquartered here, everything from technology, manufacturing, retail, insurance, and more.
But what about the leaders behind these companies? What makes
them tick? How do they get their start? This is
where you get to meet the captain of the ship.
Welcome to CEOs You Should Know and iHeartMedia Columbus Podcast.
Welcome back to another episode of CEOs You Should Know
(00:23):
and iHeartMedia Columbus Podcast. Today we're talking about something that,
whether you think so or not, really affects everyone and
it runs Central Ohio and specifically Columbus, and that is
a CODA. This is going to be a podcast episode
on everything you've ever wanted to know about CODA. Where
CODA is at, now, where CODA is going. And we've
(00:44):
got the very best, the person that is leading the
entire CODA organization. I want to welcome President and CEO
Monica Tayas Fowler with us. Monica, good to have you here.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
You've had quite the journey in the world to transportation
and I'm really looking forward to hearing how you got
to where you're at right now. But why don't. We
start first with for those that don't know, we've heard
the word CODA many many times for many many years.
But for those that don't know, what is coda.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Coda is Central Ohio's transit provider and it has been
for the past fifty years. We're growing and really we
moved from just being a transit provider to being more
a mobility provider. So what that means is we're no
longer just looking at one mode of transportation or the
(01:36):
historic this is how you move people, but we're really
trying to be innovative in how we move people across
the region and thinking about it as a whole system,
not just a bus or not just a one mode.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah, and you know nothing. I bet it will explain
that more about where CODA is going. And we'll touch
on this in just a bit. Is what passed last
fall with the levy would link us? I think I
think that might have a broader brush stroke of what
where exactly are going And we'll get to that in
just a second. But Monica, you know, looking at your bio.
(02:11):
First of all, congratulations and being named president CEO. It
was a year ago, but it took effect. What last
May is that right.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yes, the board named me in March, but I didn't
take the reins until May Joanna Pinkerton stepped down. You know,
I wanted to focus on some other things, had some
opportunities to do other things. Really excited for her, but
that kind of left us like, wow, we got to
move quickly here because we had some big stuff in.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
The works, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So I was really excited and continue to me, it's
been great.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah. And for those that don't know, you had been
with CODA in a different position, I have.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Actually I came to Columbus in twenty twenty three. I
came and joined CODA, was recruited to become the COO
chief Operating Officer, and jumped right in and then soon
thereafter stepped into the deputy CEO role. So I was
in that role for nearly a year when the president's
(03:10):
CEO role became available and the board named me.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah. Monica Tayas fowlers with us. She's the president and
CEO of CODA. This week's guest on CEOs You should
know and I hurt Media Columbus podcast. Well, Monica, if
you don't mind, I'd love to and I'm sure all
of us to get to know a little bit more
about you. Your resume speaks volumes when it comes to
the world of transportation. But where are you from? Where
(03:35):
did you grow up? Family life?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, well I grew up in Texas, originally from Dallas, Texas,
but lived all over in Texas with my husband, my family.
I think, you know, what, really kind of who I
am is It really kind of all boils down to
transit is and that's kind of interesting. I think, you know,
I was kind of going down a path. I was
(03:59):
an accountant trade but really doing some auditing work and
that stuff. I took a job with the public Transit
agency in Denton County and that's really where I got
my start. It's a smaller agency, but I think when
I got there, I realized, you know, it reminded me
of when I took transit as a child. Because I
(04:19):
grew up I had an opportunity to go to Magnet School,
but I didn't live near the school, and we didn't
have the vehicle, and my parents were worked late and
so they couldn't really take me to school. So I
rode the bus an hour each way every day to
get to this Magnet School that was through middle school.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
In high school.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And so when I got to DCTA in Denton County,
I think, I it like everything flooded for me back
to me, like this is where I belong. Transit makes
a difference and I and I realized that because I
was the first person, only person in my family to
receive a college education. But I don't think if I
had attended the Magnet School then those doors would have
(04:58):
opened up to me, like I wouldn't be an realized
the possibility there right, the opportunity in front of me.
So that kind of came flooding to me, and I
knew that transit was my place. Yeah thereafter you know,
the nice thing is that DCTA was a small agency,
but you got to wear all of the different hats.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh yeah, so you get to learn a lot and
so yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
So I kind of started still in the accounting field,
you know, really focusing on the financing of transit. You know,
how are they finance grants programs, you know, innovative financing programs, projects,
those kinds of things. But as I, you know, was
at DCTA and got to wear all the different hats,
I got interested in more and more things. So it
(05:40):
kind of just expanded my knowledge and really got to
learn a lot. I was then recruited to go to
Trinity Metro for Worth, where I served as the CFO
for some years and really kind of led a billion
dollar project through this CIG grant funding program that was
(06:00):
a really big deal. Also issued our first debt. We
received a Bond Buyer's Deal of the Year award for our.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Financing and that project.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
I didn't know there were awards that were given out
for that.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
There's awards, yes, and I mean it's really kind of
a big deal, So you know, I think it was.
It was really exciting and I really got again got
to learn a lot, got to learn a lot about projects,
got to learn a lot about infrastructure, what it takes
to get those things in but a lot of collaboration
as well. So I was recruited to Vancouver, Washington, where
(06:36):
I was the Deputy CEO Treasurer for Clark County Transit
Authority also known as c TRAN.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, oh that's it. By the way, that's a change
of scenery and pace from Texas, right.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, quite a Change's a beautiful, beautiful for sure. I
really enjoyed that there, we were really focused on growing
out our system there, so really building out a b Artisis.
But also was really exciting because there was collaboration with
stakeholders and partners. The I five bridge that connected Portland,
(07:08):
Oregon to Vancouver, Washington had to be replaced, and one
of the things that all of the partners agreed on
was that there had to be a transit component to it. Right,
I mean, there's lots of people shifting back and forth
for work and home and play and all that, and
so you know, have a transit component so that everyone
has access to that. So we were in the midst
of that when Coda came knocking at my door, and
(07:31):
you know, it was a tough decision, but somebody, you know,
the recruiter was really smart because they said, Hey, would
you just come out and visit us and let us
show your rap And that's the hook. Yeah, it's because
you know, I think initially kind of get this, like
why would I go, you know, move across the country,
(07:54):
Like I'm living in a beautiful part of the country.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Why would I do this?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
But you get to Columbus and you just feel it,
you just know it, right, and so it didn't take
long for me to be here to understand the level
of collaboration and that's required for some of these large projects.
So really kind of knowing what was possible, what was upcoming,
and then the commitment that I saw from partners, I
(08:18):
just knew this was the place for me. We have
big things to do and I want to be a
part of it.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Monica, I'm sure you've heard this before since you've been here.
They call it the Columbus Way. They actually teach it
at Harvard, so you probably felt that a little bit.
Did you feel welcome right away when you arrived?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You know what, I am very appreciative and grateful for that.
That's one thing that I think everyone really extended, you know.
How can we make you feel more comfortable? How can
how you know? They my husband's always like, oh, they
all are so nice to us. I'm like, yeah, they
want us to stick around, you know, But but yeah,
(08:56):
I think people not only you know, we're friendly and
welcome and wanted to show me around, Like what are
the things to.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Do, where to go find good food?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
You know, all of the different things, but even in work,
like how can we help you be successful? What do
you need from me having those questions, and you know,
really it's a commitment from partners because they know that
if one of us succeeds, we all succeed. And that
just comes across very clearly.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Monica Teya's of Fowlers, whether she's the president and CEO
of CODA coming up on her one year anniversary. Okay,
this is just me looking in to when you were
named CEO. When you started in May of last year, Monica,
I'm thinking you had a lot of work right away.
You had to, you know, hit the ground running hard
(09:47):
because you had a levey to start campaigning for. Right Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, wish we had done this before my evaluation. That
would have been a nice thing that not just kidding, No,
just kidding nothing. Board does very great this and generous.
I I was not intimidated by that work alone. I
think I just was unfamiliar with it. I had not
been out in front on a levee, but knowing what
(10:14):
was involved, I knew it was a heavy lift because
I've seen it done other places.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
So this is your first levee you've ever It was my.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
First levee that I passed. Yes, it's particularly a permanent levee.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Like this is that's a big thing.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
A billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Brillion dollars is huge.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So so but I think, you know, I really leaned
in on in the team that we was already in
place at CODA. They're so strong they knew what to do.
They kind of like quickly sat down with me, this
is what needs to happen. This is how we're going
to get this done. They laid out one hundred day planned,
they laid out, you know, a plan to get us
to the levee, and we were successful just following their plan.
(10:53):
And so really it was kind of a trust we
had to you know, they had to trust me. I
had to trust them. But we leaned in on each
other with each other and really got the job done.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Behind the scenes, Monica, if you don't mind pulling back
the curtain, what what was the feeling our thought before
you knew the results? Because the results for those that
don't know it was fifty seven percent to forty three percent.
You know, it passed. We'll explain what link US is
in just a bit, But what what were the thoughts?
But behind the scenes, so we have.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Been working on planning for our first corridor, transit corridor
West broad Street for some years, but we never let
up on that work.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And the reason for that was.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I think there was this idea that and this knowledge
that it's going to pass. We know it's going to pass.
It wasn't a what if it doesn't, Okay, we all
knew it had to pass.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
This was more for us.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
It's necessary for us to continue to serve the community
in the way that it needs now, but also to
prepare for the growth that we knew is coming. Right
So in order for us to be able to do that,
we knew we have to start thinking big and the
levee is just a part of that. So even if
(12:12):
it had not been successful, we knew we would have
been coming back out to the public again. So we
knew we had to keep the work going because one
thing that could not happen was that we were not
providing the service along with the growth that was happening.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. Well, Monica, what I find interesting is is the
link us levee. It passes, but it's more than just
infrastructure you would think of when it comes to Coda.
You're talking, you know, bike trails and paths and sidewalks.
I think I know the answer to this but why
(12:48):
a focus on that and not more of well, buses
and other high tech transportation.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Yeah so well, I mean, I think the whole conversation
around LINCAS has been and continues to be it's more
than just a transit initiative. You know, it shows up
as coda on the on the ballot, but it's so
much more than that. You know, what we're really looking
for is, you know, we know we're going to have
three point five billion million people by twenty fifty, right,
(13:15):
how are we going to manage those that growth without
adding a ton of congestion to our road without limiting
access to different things? And so really what we've been
focused on, it's it's about smart investments in our mobility,
whether that be rapid transit, sidewalks, bike bikeways, trails, and
(13:36):
innovation to our transportation solutions that just keep us all
moving forward.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
When we work together.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
You know, we're really focused on bringing these projects to life.
We're expanding access to opportunity and driving economic growth. The
whole idea behind you know, bike ways, sidewalks, paths, trails,
those kinds of things is not just to provide access
(14:03):
and create more connected communities, but also ultimately they have
access to CODA, and so that's that's kind of the
system we're looking for. There's options, then all of a sudden,
there's not this focus on one mode, which you know,
maybe that single occupancy vehicle has really been the focus
(14:23):
around here in the past. When you create those different options,
all of a sudden, there's opportunity for people to make
decisions about what's the right option for them. But ultimately
you're adding more people to the system when there's more
options and you're not flooding that one option that was
(14:43):
there before, which is that you know, roads.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Monica to your point of what you said earlier, and
we've heard this before, that there's going to be a
million more plus people three and a half million by
twenty fifty. It's really what it's a ludicrous, insane thought
to think, even though roads get updated, to think that
all three and a half million of those people are
(15:06):
going to be using our current roadway system. It's just
that's not feasible.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
It's not feasible exactly, and that's why we need to
think about how we're going to move those people in
different ways, give them different options.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Aside from that, we.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Know that there historically have been you know, difficult challenges
for people.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
To access different parts of.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
The city, maybe where job centers are. This this creates
that opportunity for access to for everyone across the region.
I would say that one of the things that I
continue to focus on is, you know, for us, the
second and third shift workers, you know, we don't run
(15:51):
service after a certain time, and we have been extending
that over and over, but we're excited that in May
we're actually expanding our service to midnight.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, and that.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Really opens up the opportunity for workers who are second shift,
second shift, third shift workers who really kind of drive
a lot of our region, in our city and drive
the economy, really really make things happen for us. And
so opening up our system so that they can now
access it creates different opportunities for other people as well.
(16:28):
So yeah, I mean, I think really focused on creating
a mobility system. Again. I'm going to keep going back
to that because I think we have had a system
where it's centered on cars, on personal occupancy vehicles, and
that's great for people who can afford a car, but
(16:49):
not everyone can.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
And I understand Monica America loves to drive. Central Ohio
loves to drive, but the city. Look, I've been here
since nineteen ninety nine. The city has changed dramatically. There
was a time where this city was called cowtown. I
haven't heard that term in years, even though it only
takes about twenty five thirty minutes and you can get
out to the country and it's beautiful. But times are
(17:12):
a change in so when you can, I ask you
when you came here the levee past. Of course, one
thing that Columbus City Council President Shannon Harden said this
is to the Dispatch. He said that Columbus has been
the largest city in the country without advanced transit, and
after the levee passed, he said, today we took a
(17:32):
huge step forward. Were you surprised to see just how
big I don't think people realize how big Columbus is
and that we don't necessarily have the public transportation that
we should be having.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah, well, you know, and I think I should have
covered this when you ask, you know, what is CODA.
You know, we serve over forty municipalities in all of
Franklin County, parts of Licking County, Fairfield, Union County, Delaware County,
so we we serve a large geographic area, and that's
(18:07):
pretty significant. The levy is a game changer because it
allows us not only to bring a transit system, a
mobility system that this region has never seen. Because you're right,
Council President hard And said.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
It best where we were.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
We are the largest region in the US without any
rapid transit. That is really difficult when you're trying to
move the number of people that you're that we have now,
but only to think about the fact that we're.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Going to grow, how do you manage that?
Speaker 2 (18:40):
And you have to be able to do it in
a fast a fast way as well as you know,
kind of safe and you know, really really be able
to connect people across the region without that old school
will and spoke system that used to be the case.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Right right, right, Yeah, So, Monica, I want to ask
you something that this is about the naysayers. I hear them.
I'm sure you do too, the naysayers of a public transportation.
What does a city like Columbus or a world without
public transportation look like? Meaning CODA has a tremendous effect
(19:18):
and impact on the community. Would you mind describing that
for us?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah? Well, you know, I'm going to use some stats
that we got from the American Public Transportation Association. So
public transit is more than just transit. It does drive economy.
So for every dollar spent in public transit, it ultimately
means five dollars in economic return. So you think about
(19:45):
every billion dollars that is spent, it ultimately leads to
fifty thousand more jobs in an economy. So really it
is helping drive the economy aside from lots of workforce
knows that those individuals who work in their place having
(20:06):
access to different options from ability really kind of solves
a lot of their problems, whether that be having people,
you know, having access to employees, having access to a
workforce that can come to work, whether that be absenteeism,
that kind of stuff. So I think people support it
(20:26):
for those reasons. I do understand the naysayers, but it
really kind of opens up doors for everything in terms
of driving economy.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Monica, I think I again probably know the answer to
this because we just touched on it. But so far
in the year that you've been at CODA, what would
you say, so far has been your biggest achievement.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Wow, I would probably point to I'm just really kind
of in awe of our frontline employees, admin and staff,
everyone really working together. I think one thing that I
would say that really kind of helped us in that space.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
We were able to achieve.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
A three year agreement with Transit Workers of America Local
two AWAIT, that's our the union we work with. We
were able to come to a three year agreement with them,
and it really kind of allowed us to solidify how
important those employees are with so whether they'd be those
(21:29):
skilled operators or maintenance technicians, our customer care individuals. It
has helped us in terms of really establishing a good
relationship with that group, but it also helps us be
an attractive employer in the region. We ultimately received got
(21:53):
that agreement and our Transit Workers our workforce is probably
one of the highest page brands at workforce in our
country because of that agreement. So it's it's been helpful
for us. It also allows us to keep the workforce
that we need and grow in a way that allows
us to serve the community in the way we need to. Yeah,
(22:14):
so we're well prepared to add additional people. And like
I said, we're attracted. We're an attractive employer, so people
are eager to get in the door now that and
you know, don't want to say any you know, don't
want to forget to say. Obviously, the support we received
for the link Us initiative was huge for us, and
(22:37):
so that would be something that I you know, it's
not just not just proud of, but really grateful for.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Yeah, that was a huge win for code and quite
frankly the community for that matter. When it comes to
and I just want to bring this up because I
know it pops up every once in a while. We've
also seen some heroism with our Coda drivers. Safety is
always a big conn do do you have a lot
of safety protocols in place for bus drivers for passengers?
(23:07):
We do.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Actually, you know, we have been able to drive down
any security type incidents.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
We have an SRS team that works very hard not
only to be community advocates, Uh. They make connections for individuals.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Who may need help, whether that be you know, any kind.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Of substance abuse or causing requirements, but they also help
just kind of uh focus on areas where you know,
maybe we have a larger group of individuals who might
be catching making connections at different transit centers. Their presence
there just helps kind of deter any any you know,
(23:51):
activity that we may not want. They also we have
people who are always on buses, so managing through that.
I would say that our team is, of course concerned
about safety, but that goes both ways, right. I think
people people also kind of speak up and share with
(24:12):
us what those safety concerns are, and we were very
responsive to that. I can only say that as I've
been here, I only see incidents continue to decrease over
and over. And that's impressive because since I've been here,
we've increased uh service. Almost every service change we have
we do that three times a year, and so as
(24:33):
service has increased, incidents or any safety concerns have continued
to decrease. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
And I'm sorry, Monica, did you say s R S
service sor what is that?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yeah? That's our our support strategic response okay team.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They they work really hard to respond to any kind
of incident, any kind of concerns. A bus operator may say,
you know, I see this out there, this looks you know,
maybe we need to keep an eye on that kind
of stuff.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
I didn't know you had that, by the way, I
didn't even know. That makes me feel SAE.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
They're always out there and they're always a friendly face.
So and that's what you'll find from them. They're out
there to help, whether that be a passenger and operator
or just someone and looking for help.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Monica, can I be a nerd for a second. I'm
a big techie nerd and I'm always envisioning the future
of different things. And look, this could be your idea.
This could be maybe if you're allowed to talk about it,
ideas that have been thrown against the wall for the
future of a CODA. But when it comes to the
(25:41):
technology for CODA in the future, what does it look
like in fifteen twenty, I don't know, maybe even thirty
years from now. Are we going to have and I'm
being serious, are we going to have like flying buses,
high speed rail? What kind of transportation technologies out there?
Speaker 3 (25:57):
I'm excited for this region.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
I mean, aside from from bus rapid transit, that's kind
of us being able to introduce the region to something new.
I would never put reil out of out of the
question for our for our region. I think that we
are prime for that, but we have to build up density.
You know, you don't build something like that without some
(26:21):
sort of federal funding. And you have to meet certain criteria.
We don't necessarily have the density right now to do that,
but I think that as what we're doing right now
along the corridors. We're working with so many municipalities and
they're really kind of doing their part to add housing
and businesses and you know, really kind of build out
(26:42):
that connected community so people have resources that they need.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
That kind of density really leads to the conversation of
reil in the future. That and I know morps our
partners at MORPSI are busy working on passenger rail, which
is really exciting. So US connecting to pass Jirell will
only open up that density even more. I'm so I'm excited.
I don't know if we're going to have flying buses,
(27:08):
I don't know what all of that, But what I
do know is everything we do, we're committed to doing
it with our partners and our employees that are represented
by TWU Local TOOLA.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Absolutely, you know, and Monica knowing you, you've been around
the country, you lived around the country, You've seen different
infrastructures with transportation, public transit. Are there other cities that
Columbus can model themselves after. Maybe some cities that I
don't want to use the word envious, but that you
would like to Wow, they're doing it this way. I
(27:41):
wonder if that could happen here, and maybe not just
this country, but are there are there places maybe in
Europe that you're impressed with that Columbus could learn from.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Always I mean, I always love that. I think one
of the big things I remind people is when they visit, like,
what's your favorite place to visit? Do you get on
the transit system there?
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Because people will go to.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
DC or New York or whatever and they'll say, oh,
the transit system there was amazing, But we can do
that here. We can have that here, And so that's
kind of what like my big vision, my big like.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
We are working on that.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
You start with things like introducing bus rapid transit. It's
it's a rapid transit line. So just kind of introducing
that to the region opens that up. I would love.
I think my favorite thus far has been Singapore Transit.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Yeah, what's that like?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
It's amazing. It's a large system made up with rail buses,
TNC's everything in between. Right, they have double decker buses,
but it's just it's kind of amazing. I think what
I loved about it is I went there and was
(28:59):
able to any any sight scene I wanted to do.
I was able to do it via a public transit.
I was able to figure that out without knowing any
other language other than it was in Spanish. Yeah, and
it just it was so easy. I never got lost once,
I never had trouble paying my fare, I never had
(29:22):
any trouble figuring out what what was.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
The easiest way to get there.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
And I never even asked for like help, like help
me understand this?
Speaker 1 (29:31):
Yeah, yeah, you figured it out.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Because they made it so simple. And that's what makes
a good system is making it easy and accessible.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
That's uh, that's really interesting. You know, we talked if
I could go back one more time to the amount
of people will have in twenty fifty, only because I'm
fascinated by it. Monica would what's the threshold we need
to get like a high speed rail or a passenger rail.
What's the population? Is there? A number? Is there?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
It's a density, And that's kind of a you know,
really depends on what the FEDS decide is is what
goes into the program and how they measure. It's also
very competitive when you're looking for federal funding, so it
will all kind of depend on where that those guidelines land.
(30:24):
I think we are have a little bit of some
changes right now, and so we you know, every season
is different and we just will have to decide when
we get there.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Do you think it's possible, because before you got here,
for years there have been this there's this been this
idea where the three seas Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati would somehow
connect with the rail. But do you see that and
something more locally down the road with Columbus?
Speaker 3 (30:51):
I do, I do? I do?
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I hope I get to see that happen. You know,
I keep telling the team is you know, this is
my go It's got to be done, and so I
would love to see that. We've we've got to see
some of the density, sure, and that's going to take
a lot of partners because we've got to add a
lot of housing. We have to be prepared for those
additional people moving here to our region in more ways
(31:16):
than just one. So transit is just one of those pieces.
It's kind of that infrastructure that needs to be in place.
Housing is the other piece, and I know that we
have lots of partners in our municipalities that are working
on that as well as a county, so and and
Morpsy continues to be a huge player in.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
The Yeah, it's amazing. How I mean, you've taught me
just with this conversation alone, Monica. It really takes a village,
doesn't it. It's not just CODA. It's a lot of partnerships.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
We could not do this alone. We could we could
not do this alone.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
The collaboration, the level of high level collaboration that has
to happen is incredible. It's not something that everyone can
get across. And you know, I think one of the
things that you know, what I would say is Columbuses
is really in a unique position because not only do
(32:09):
they see that growth coming, they are actually able to
kind of get ahead of it. So one of the things,
you know, you see some of the other regions across
our nation, they see that growth and they don't have
time to react to it until it's too late, and
then they're always trying to play catchup. That's very difficult.
I think we have spoken with many different people across
(32:33):
the country and one of the things that they continued
to say to us was do it now, Do it now? Right?
A lot of it is because after you start to
have that growth, it's very hard, like you're stuck with congestion,
You're stuck with this stuff and you can't you can't
build your way out of some of this stuff. And
so you know, we have leaders and partners in this region.
(32:56):
We're very fortunate for them to say, hey, we need
to be haired not reactive, so very proactive. Really kind
of aligned themselves early on, and I think one of
the things we have a chance of doing is really
modeling how to do something like growth.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Right.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
I agree with that, Monica. One thing that because I
was thinking about what you just said. We see so
many states and maybe even cities too, who are always
trying to play catch up, and you just nailed it. Historically,
we've seen that with a lot of cities where they
just have such a hard time catching up versus hey,
if they just would have funded this originally, but because
(33:37):
they know the growth is coming. Delaware County is one
of those counties too that knew the growth is coming
and they put in a lot of infrastructure before things
started to explode a decade plus ago. But is it
a funding thing? Why do we see that happen so much.
Do they not get enough funding that they maybe needed
or just didn't ask for enough. I don't know, it's
(34:00):
hard to say.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Uh, it could be.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
You know, change is a scary thing for for everyone,
So so that's always kind of a pause for people.
People people want to be certain before they move forward,
and when you talk about growth, there's never any guarantee.
There's never any you know, and so maybe people don't
want to dedicate funding to something that that is an uncertain,
(34:26):
unsure thing. It's an uncertain thing. But change is inevitable.
That's that's one of the certain things, right that taxes.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
And death is.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, So I think I think we've been very aware
of that here and have really moved on that. So
I'm excited to see that and be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
One last question to ask you one words of wisdom
to the community. Uh, just things you would like them
to know about CODA and where we're going.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Patience is probably something I would say. As I mentioned,
change is inevitable, and growth, which is we know is coming,
means change and we can either fight it or we
can jump in and help shape that growth and the
future of this region. So CODE is just one of
the many partners in our region committed to growing better,
(35:19):
but it will require some patients by everyone in our
region as we build the infrastructure that's needed in the future.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
All right, and Monica, you're a Texas girl. You've been
here for about a year now. Have you gotten adjusted
to the Buckeye culture?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
You know, it took me a minute that whole age. Yeah,
I was like, Okay, is this a cult? But I
think I'm there now. I think, you know, I don't.
I don't think I can skip saying I oh if
somebody says that, so it just comes out now. Aside
(35:58):
from that, my son is now at Ohio Stake.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Oh he is okay, so really exciting. What is he studying.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
He's finance.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Oh, finance, okay, Yeah, thanks after his mama.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Yeah, thanks after his mom.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Well, Monica, welcome to Columbus. I know I'm a little
late with that, but congratulations on all your success so
far and appreciate you leading everyone at CODA. Looking forward
to seeing what's next. Thank you. CEOs You Should Know
is hosted and produced by Brandon Boxer, a production of iHeartMedia.
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