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SCTA’s Executive Director will Retire after 42 Years

Sep 09, 2021
BARTA & RRTA

LANCASTER, PA – After 42 years in public transit, Dave Kilmer, South Central Transit Authority’s (SCTA) Executive Director has announced his retirement effective at the end of 2021.

In 2015, Kilmer became the first Executive Director for South Central Transit Authority when it became the administrative authority overseeing Red
Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) services in Lancaster, PA and Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA) services in Reading, PA. Kilmer
was instrumental in working through the merger details to create cost savings for both authorities. “My focus has always been trying to improve public transit service in Lancaster and Berks Counties with the creation of SCTA as a major achievement during my career,” Kilmer explained.

Kilmer started his career in Williamsport, PA in 1979, then moved to the Peninsula Transportation District Commission in Hampton, VA in 1987. After that, in 1989, he began a long period at Red Rose Transit Authority as the Director of Operations. He continued his transit career by taking on the position of Assistant Executive Director at both BARTA and RRTA for brief periods of time before moving up to the Executive Director position at RRTA. In 2015, Kilmer was a key leader in helping to merge the two medium sized Pennsylvania public transit systems with the creation of SCTA.

“The creation of SCTA, resulted in significant administrative cost savings that translated into more transit service,” Kilmer explained. “Through the years, I have always appreciated the assistance of our local legislators and municipal officials who ensured that public transit services were funded. My hope is that will continue in the future.”

Kilmer also noted that all of the accomplishments for BARTA and RRTA services could not have been accomplished without having excellent past and
present Board of Director members.

The SCTA Board of Directors took action on July 1, 2021 to appoint Gregory Downing as the new Executive Director. Downing has been the Chief
Operations Officer for SCTA for the past year and the SCTA Director of Operations prior to that since 2015. Downing starts as SCTA’s second Executive Director with more than 25 years of transportation experience. Kilmer will assist in the transition as the Executive Manager for the remainder of the year.

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