Valley Metro, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) have made new appointments to their respective leadership teams.
Valley Metro names deputy chief of service planning
Valley Metro has named Michael Eshleman as its deputy chief of service planning. In his new role, he will oversee service planning and scheduling for the agency, ensuring that Valley Metro’s transit services are efficient, responsive and aligned with the region’s growing transportation needs. Valley Metro says his leadership will be instrumental in shaping future service strategies and strengthening partnerships with regional stakeholders to enhance public transit accessibility and reliability.
“With nearly 20 years of public transportation experience, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong track record of service planning excellence,” said Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller. “His expertise in service optimization and inter-agency collaboration will be invaluable as we continue to improve transit options for our riders.”
Eshleman comes to Valley Metro from the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District in Oakland, Calif., where he served as service planning manager since 2015. In that role, he led a team of professionals and interns, overseeing service planning for a 23-jurisdiction area with a fleet of 630 buses and 1,200 operators.
Eshleman holds a Bachelor of Science in city and regional planning, a Master of Science in transportation management and a Certificate in Transit and Paratransit Operations from the University of the Pacific.
OCTA adds two to leadership team
Rose Casey has been named executive director of planning for the OCTA. The agency has also named Dan Phu as the new director of transportation planning and analysis.
Casey replaces Kia Mortazavi, who retired in March after nearly 40 years of transportation planning in Orange County, dating back to a time before OCTA was formed in 1991. OCTA says Mortazavi and Casey spent the last several months sharing the role to ensure a smooth transition in the effort to continue providing Orange County with a balanced and sustainable transportation network.
In her new role, Casey will lead OCTA’s Planning Division, responsible for developing long-range transportation plans, guiding sustainable and equitable mobility initiatives and coordinating regionally with stakeholders to address the county’s evolving transportation needs. The agency notes her leadership will remain critical in shaping multimodal corridor strategies, expanding options for transit and active transportation such as cycling and walking and ensuring Orange County remains connected and mobile.
“We are thrilled to have Rose take on this key leadership role,” said OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson. “Her depth of knowledge, passion for community-focused solutions and ability to see the big picture make her an ideal person to help us plan Orange County’s transportation future.”
Casey has been with OCTA for more than 17 years, most recently serving as director of programs, where she oversaw the successful delivery of major freeway and roadway improvement projects throughout the county, including the construction of the $2.1 billion 405 Improvement Project and the successful implementation of the 405 Express Lanes.
Her previous experience includes roles as program manager at OCTA and work with Caltrans District 12 in Orange County and District 7 in Los Angeles, giving her a strong foundation in project development and interagency coordination, as well as a deep understanding of transportation funding.
A longtime resident of Irvine, Casey has been actively involved in local civic life. She served as a transportation commissioner for the city of Irvine, Calif., from 2017 to 2019, where she helped guide thoughtful growth and infrastructure decisions from a local perspective.
“I’ve spent my career working to improve how people move around Orange County, and I feel incredibly fortunate to now help lead that planning work,” Casey said. “As a resident of Orange County and a longtime transportation professional, there’s real satisfaction in traveling through our county and remembering the projects I’ve worked on – the improved freeways, smoother streets and bikeways and safer intersections. These are improvements that truly make a difference in people’s lives, and I’m proud to have been a part of that progress.”
Casey will report directly to Johnson and will play a central role in developing and implementing OCTA’s long-range planning efforts in collaboration with local, regional and state partners.
The agency notes Phu’s appointment underscores OCTA’s strong commitment to succession planning and promoting internal talent.
Phu, who has been with OCTA since 2007, brings nearly two decades of experience in transportation and environmental planning. He has led key initiatives, including the Measure M2 Environmental Mitigation and Cleanup Programs, regional rail and transit planning studies and conceptual engineering projects. His work to help acquire conservation lands and fund habitat restoration has helped expedite project delivery and earned statewide recognition.
Most recently, Phu has played a vital role in addressing coastal rail challenges, leading planning efforts to identify vulnerable areas and working with regulatory partners to help prevent future rail service disruptions.
HART names deputy executive director and COO
HART has named Michael O’Keefe deputy executive director and COO. In this role, O’Keefe will work closely with Lori Kahikina, HART’s executive director and CEO, to provide project and financial oversight to the Honolulu Rail Transit Project. O’Keefe will succeed former deputy executive director and COO Rick Keene, who is retiring at the end of April 2025, after four years and four months with HART.
“I would like to express my appreciation to Rick for the critical work he has done since joining me at HART in 2021, and I want to extend Mike a very warm welcome to the HART Ohana,” Kahikina said. “I look forward to working closely with Mike to continue to move this project forward as we enter the next critical phase of guideway and station construction in the downtown area. I have worked with him for many years while at the Department of Environmental Services (ENV) and am confident his expertise and character align seamlessly with the culture of our HART Ohana.”
Formerly the deputy director of the City and County of Honolulu’s ENV, O’Keefe has over 16 years of management, financial and administrative experience with the city. As deputy director of ENV, O’Keefe was responsible for the department’s finances and revenue bond program, including long-range financial forecasting, as well as assisting with the oversight of the operations and maintenance of the city’s 2,100 miles of sewer lines, 72 wastewater pump stations, nine wastewater treatment plants, landfills, waste-to-energy facility and the provision of refuse/recycling collection and disposal services to 180,000 homes.
“Michael O’Keefe’s leadership at ENV can’t be overstated, and he’s been a cornerstone for the department over the past 16 years,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “He is a dedicated public servant and has the necessary experience and vision to help lead the rail project in the years to come.”
O’Keefe holds a bachelor’s degree in law and society from DeSales University, a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Brandon Lewis | Associate Editor
Brandon Lewis is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lewis is a former freelance editorial assistant at Vehicle Service Pros in Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Repair Group. Lewis brings his knowledge of web managing, copyediting and SEO practices to Mass Transit Magazine as an associate editor. He is also a co-host of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast.
