Armond Budish Has Nominated Justin Bibb and Terence P. Joyce for RTA Board

County Executive Armond Budish has made his recommendations for two Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Board seats, one that was vacated by Sonny Nardi, who resigned in frustration last month, and the other that has been kept warm by former East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton. His term officially expired in March.

Barring any unforeseen objections, Justin Bibb and Terence P. Joyce will be given the green light at the regularly scheduled County Council meeting officially appointed in a couple weeks. Letters recommending Bibb and Joyce appeared in the legislative agenda. 

Bibb, a senior consultant for Gallup, is a board member of Destination Cleveland, Teach for America Greater Cleveland, LAND Studio and the Harvard Community School. He is a graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law and received his Bachelors in Urban Studies from American University.

Terence P. Joyce is a local labor leader. He serves as president of the Cleveland Building Trades Council and business manager of Building Laborers Local 310, with whom he's been a member since 1987.

Budish likely appointed Joyce to Nardi's seat. Nardi is a labor leader as well, (president of Teamsters Local 416), and likely wanted to retain a voice for labor on the board.

Budish is responsible for three total appointments. Attorney Karen Gabriel Moss is the other county appointee. Bibb and Joyce, if confirmed, will serve three-year terms that expire in March, 2020.

In a letter to council, Budish said that both Joyce and Moss live in the city of Cleveland, and that there are "no known conflicts of interest" for which an advisory opinion has been requested.

Frank Jackson appointee Kelley Britt resigned this summer after the Ohio Ethics Commission ruled that she could not sit on the RTA board while also serving as a planner for the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.