Central Maryland Regional Transit Corporation Names Beverly Walenga Interim CEO

The Central Maryland Regional Transit Corporation (CMRT) announced today that Ms. Beverly Walenga will serve as its interim Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Walenga brings over 15 years of experience at CMRT and is currently the Director of Finance and Administration. During this time, Ms. Walenga has watched the operation of CMRT grow from a $300,000 outfit to a $15 million enterprise.

The current CEO, John W. Powell, Jr. is leaving his current position to become the new Howard County Administrator for the Office of Transportation. During his tenure, CMRT has grown tremendously in its level of service, ridership and transportation activities.

Today, the CMRT system has a $15 million annual budget and carries close to 2 million riders on 17 routes in the City of Laurel and portions of Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
“The CMRT board is proud of the progress made during Mr. Powell’s tenure at CMRT and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.” said Janet S. Owens, Chair of the CMRT Board of Directors. “We anticipate that through Ms. Walenga’s leadership, the organization will continue to grow.”

The Board of Directors has already begun conducting a search committee to find a permanent Chief Executive Officer, led by Vic Siaurusaitis, Assistant Vice President and Manager of the Michael Baker Corporation and Vice Chair of the CMRT board.

“Our regional focus will be maintained, as we continue to grow the programs and projects that have been a cornerstone of CMRT’s service to its constituents.” Walenga
stated, “We are moving forward.”

Founded in 1987 as a private nonprofit 501(c) (3) corporation, CMRT has managed public transportation services in the Baltimore-Washington Corridor for more than two
decades. The bus service has supported the transit needs of suburban travelers in portions of three counties – Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George’s.

CMRT is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of its transit services on the basis of race, color or nation origin, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.