STAR Transit Board elects new officers

TERRELL, TX – February 8, 2021 – Jerry Dittman, Carrie Gordon, and Dana Macalik have been elected chair, vice chair and secretary respectively by the Board of Directors of STAR Transit, the agency which provides reliable and affordable transportation to residents and/or persons working in Kaufman and Rockwall counties as well as the cities of Seagoville, Balch Springs, Mesquite, Hutchins and DeSoto.

Retired from the City of Mesquite where he served as deputy city manager, assistant city manager and assistant director of public works over the years, Dittman has also been in senior management with a national construction company in the transportation sector. In his military career, he managed a 10-person workforce of engineers, architects, construction inspectors and support personnel in executing projects for the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps in Japan. His service on STAR Transit’s board is long-standing, first as Mesquite’s alternate voting member and most recently as the board’s vice chair.

Currently serving as mayor of Balch Springs, Gordon also held that position from 2009 to 2015 and was first named to STAR Transit’s board in 2015. For decades, she has applied her professional expertise to numerous municipal positions, such City Administrator for the City of Wilmer and senior urban planner for the City of Dallas. Her firm, Carrie Gordon Consulting, specializes in land use and zoning matters. Gordon’s list of community leadership roles is extensive, including the Balch Springs Industrial & Economic Development Corp.,Type A Board of Directors, and the Balch Springs Charter Review Commission.

Macalik, who is in her second term as a Rockwall council member, is the CEO/Team Leader for the Keller Williams Realty Rockwall office. Previously she served as president of the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce. Macalik’s family has made its home in Rockwall County for five generations. She serves on numerous nonprofit boards and commissions, and this year is President of the Rockwall Rotary Club.

County and municipal governments may recommend persons to serve on STAR Transit’s Board of Directors. Board members must be a resident of, or work in the county from which a recommendation is coming. A term is four years and a person may be reappointed.

About STAR Transit

Founded in 1988, STAR Transit is the fourth largest transit agency in the North Central Texas region—and the largest not funded by sales tax. Revenues are derived from federal and state grants as well as local partnerships with cities, counties and businesses. STAR Transit provides safe, affordable and convenient transportation to the general public, seniors, veterans, and persons with disabilities for access to jobs, healthcare, personal services, retail, and entertainment, etc. More than 100 employees are responsible for providing over 235,000 rides annually. The agency is headquartered in Terrell, TX. For more information, visit STARtransit.org.

Submitted press release, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News.

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