Los Gatos Councilman Joe Pirzynski Chairs VTA Board of Directors

Los Gatos former mayor and current Council member Joe Pirzysnki is the new chairman of the Santa Clara Valley Transporation Authority board of directors presiding over its first meeting of the year today at 4 p.m.

Pirzynski has been involved in VTA policy making for more than a decade, serving as the board’s vice chairman in 2012.

San Jose City Council member Ash Kalra will serve as this year’s vice chairman.

“VTA has a number of exciting opportunities ahead of us in 2013, and I am looking forward to working with the Board and staff to continue to make VTA the best transportation organization providing the best service to those traveling into and throughout Santa Clara County,” said Pirzynski.

“As our valley grows, so too does the demand on VTA to satisfy the needs of the traveling public. I’m proud to say that we have stepped up to meet that demand through careful planning, maintenance and review of the services and projects we provide. VTA is helping to relieve congestion and get people where they’re going, and we’re doing it in a thoughtful, focused way.”

Pirzynski represents City Group 3, which includes the West Valley cities of Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Campbell and Cupertino.

Pirzynski served on VTA’s Policy Advisory Committee as chairman in 2011 and 2010.  In 2010, he worked tirelessly with the Ad-Hoc Financial Stability Committee, comprised of local officials, business and community leaders, labor and other stakeholders, to recommend solutions to the full Board on strategies to address VTA’s long-term budget issues, the VTA said in press release.

Pirzynski first held a leadership role on VTA committees starting in 2001 as an alternate to the PAC and a member of the Vasona Corridor Advisory Committee. He also serves on VTA’s Audit Committee and chaired the Congestion Management Program and Planning Committee in 2012. 

In 2010, Pirzynski was reelected to the Los Gatos Town Council where he was first elected in 1998. He also served as Los Gatos mayor for the terms 2000-01, 2006-07 and 2010-11.

Kalra has served on the VTA board of directors since 2009. He is also a member of VTA’s Administration and Finance Committee, where he served as vice chair in 2012 and will serve as chair in 2013. 

Kalra was elected to the San Jose City Council in 2008 representing Council District 2 (South San Jose). 

“VTA is poised to deliver a number of important projects and initiatives in 2013 including: the ongoing work to build BART to San Jose; creating the county’s first bus rapid transit corridor; and adopting a two-year budget that addresses VTA’s objectives to increase ridership, enhance service, and advance long-term capital programs,” said Kalra.

“I am excited to lead alongside Chair Pirzynski to make sure we make good on our promise to voters while offering the best service possible for a growing customer base.”

The VTA board of directors sets VTA policy. It has 17 members and two ex-officio members, all of whom are elected officials appointed to serve on the Board by the jurisdictions they represent.

Fourteen directors are city council members and three are county supervisors. Twelve directors serve as voting members and there are five directors who serve as alternates. The ex-officio members are non-voting members and are Santa Clara County representatives to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

The VTA board of directors typically meets on the first Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. at the County Government Center, 70 West Hedding St., San Jose. January's meeting was moved to the second Thursday and begins at 4 p.m. at the county building.

All VTA board and committee meeting schedules can be found at http://www.vta.org/inside/boards/calendar/mtgsatglance_current.html.