Staff
Led by Executive Director Leanne Redden, the RTA staff has broad expertise in transit administration, financing, planning, and programming.
Led by Executive Director Leanne Redden, the RTA staff has broad expertise in transit administration, financing, planning, and programming.
As described below, the RTA Senior Executive Team is a group of dedicated professionals who work alongside the Board of Directors. These leaders come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds that work together to plan and implement the agency’s long-term transit success. Each committed team member brings their own expertise and leadership to the agency.
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Leanne Redden is the Executive Director of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), which oversees finances, secures funding, and conducts transit planning for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a collaborative approach to solving complex issues and securing sustainable funding for public transit. Under Redden’s leadership, the RTA developed the 2023-28 regional transit strategic plan Transit is the Answer, created through collaboration and engagement with thousands of diverse voices to address adapting and improving the system post-COVID.
Prior to the RTA, Redden was Chief of Planning for the Illinois Tollway and Director of Transportation for the Village of Schaumburg. She sits on the board of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and was elected Secretary to the 2022-24 WTS (Women’s Transportation Seminar) International Board of Directors. In 2021, she was appointed as one of two “U.S. Ambassadors” to the Policy Board that governs UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics, or the International Association of Public Transport), founded in 1885 to advocate for sustainable urban mobility.
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Kevin Bueso is the RTA’s Chief Financial Officer/Senior Deputy Executive Director, Finance, Innovation, and Technology. Bueso is charged with overseeing the financial function and responsibilities of the RTA.
Prior to joining the RTA in 2023, Bueso spent his career in local government and finance, serving for three years as the Chief Financial Officer for McHenry County. He is experienced in strategic planning and has a background in change management, succession planning, oversight of IT functions, and capital and finance planning. Bueso is affiliated with a variety of professional associations and helped to create the initial Illinois Chapter of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN).
Born and raised in Honduras, Bueso is fluent in Spanish. He is a graduate of Roosevelt University, where he received both graduate and undergraduate degrees.
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Jill is responsible for facilitating the daily operations of the agency and its employees, advising the Executive Director and staff on overall agency strategy, the allocation of staff resources, and setting and executing short-and long-term work plans and initiatives by overseeing the work plan for the agency. Additionally, she manages the operations of the Capital Programming and Planning department. This includes the development and implementation of the regional five-year capital program for CTA, Metra and Pace; the planning and market development work; and coordinates with the Service Boards, regional planning bodies, and Finance and Legal staff to direct the formulation of regional transit plans and investments. Prior to joining the RTA, she served as the Chief of Staff for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the regional planning agency for metropolitan Chicago.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Jill has a Bachelor of Science in Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois in Springfield.
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Michael VanDekreke is the RTA’s Director of Mobility Services, where he oversees the operations of the RTA’s Travel Training program, the ADA Paratransit Certification Program, the Reduced Fare and Ride Free programs, and customer service.
VanDekreke joined the RTA in 2005 working as a contractual ADA paratransit eligibility certifier and then as a Travel Trainer. In this role, he taught individuals with disabilities and older adults how to use the CTA, Metra and Pace buses and trains. Mr. VanDekreke was then promoted to Manager of the Mobility Management division of the Mobility Services Department until he was named to his current position in 2014.
Prior to joining the RTA, VanDekreke was in private practice as a psychotherapist and worked with the Pride Institute conducting individual, couples and group counseling. He also managed multiple programs serving more than 400 children and families with disabilities during his tenure at the United Cerebral Palsy of Will County.
VanDekreke earned his Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Illinois State University and Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
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Allison Noback is the General Counsel at the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) where she oversees the Legal and Compliance Department which includes procurement/facilities, audit, and human resources.
Allison has been practicing law for over 20 years. Before becoming General Counsel, she held the roles of Director, Human Resources and Deputy General Counsel. Prior to joining the RTA, Allison was the Chief Attorney in the Corporate Law and Litigation Group at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where she worked on numerous high-profile procurements and litigation. She also spent several years at a boutique law firm, handling complex commercial litigation cases.
Allison earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Speech Communications from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a law degree from Loyola University Chicago. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
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Tina joined the RTA as Director of Communications in October 2020. She oversees the agency’s media relations, outreach and engagement, digital media, and other external communications.
Tina has more than 20 years of combined experience in communications and public policy. Prior to joining the RTA, she spent almost six years at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Most recently she served as the agency’s first Director of Innovation and Strategic Alignment, and prior to that as its Communications Principal, where she was responsible for communications strategy during the development and launch of ON TO 2050, the region’s long-term comprehensive plan. She spent the first 12 years of her career working at a variety of marketing agencies for clients such as Allstate, United, Sprint, and the Chicago History Museum.
Tina holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Kansas and a Master’s of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois Chicago.
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Rob joined the RTA as Director of Government Affairs in June 2023. He is charged with developing, leading, and managing the federal, state, and local legislative strategy of the RTA.
Rob has nearly two decades of experience in legislative consulting, public affairs, and government relations, having most recently served as Partner and Executive Vice President at Resolute Public Affairs in Chicago, where he worked for 17 years. He was part of the team at Resolute who worked with the RTA in 2008 to address needed changes to state law impacting transit funding. Before Resolute, Rob directed Government Relations for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and has worked directly in government as a staff member within the Illinois General Assembly House of Representatives. He is a graduate of Marquette University.
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Maulik joined the RTA as Senior Deputy Executive Director of Planning and Capital Programming in October 2023. He is charged with leading the implementation of the agency’s regional transit strategic plan, “Transit is the Answer,” which addresses adapting and improving the system post-COVID.
Maulik has 15 years of experience in sustainable urban transportation, large-agency transit management and data-driven policy and program implementation. He comes to the RTA from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where he served as Vice President, Innovation for the past 11 years. Notably, Maulik was responsible for creating CTA’s first rider focused customer experience and marketing strategy and leading the implementation of the “Meeting the Moment” action plan to realign the agency toward post-pandemic customer success. Before the CTA, Maulik was a Transportation Planner for Arup in San Fransisco. He is a graduate of Lake Forest College and earned a Master's from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
