TARTA appoints new director of marketing and communications

Laura Koprowski has joined the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) as the new director of marketing and communications, effective April 27.

In this leadership role, Koprowski is charged with directing and advancing TARTA’s efforts in marketing, communications and external affairs to ensure public transportation is integral to the social and economic well-being of Toledo’s future.

“Having Laura join our team is the first step in our bold vision to expand our technical capacity by hiring public transit industry experts at TARTA,” said TARTA General Manager Kimberly Dunham. “The breadth of her experience is noteworthy and as we embark on agency-wide transformational change and a complete system redesign, it will take a team with expansive experience in 21st Century service delivery and technology to drive our success. She will bring strong leadership to our internal and external stakeholder relationships and help drive a first-class customer experience focus within every facet of our agency. We are honored that she has chosen to join Team TARTA.”

According to TARTA Board President Daniel Woodcock, the hiring of Koprowski implements the board’s vision and goals to rebrand the transit authority and its services and strengthen the leadership within the organization.

“We are very excited and inspired to have Laura joining Team TARTA. Laura's industry experience, most recently as executive director of the Ohio Public Transit Association, and her experience in leading rebrands and developing new brands has us really inspired for our organization's future,” said Woodcock. “We will continue to bring in top level industry leaders, and develop our rising leaders internally, while we strive to deliver the best public transportation possible for our region.”

Koprowski will be leaving her position as the executive director of the Ohio Public Transit Association, which is a statewide organization advancing innovation and investment in Ohio’s public transportation authorities and businesses through education, networking and advocacy.

She has more than 20 years of notable experience in local, regional and state transportation plans, projects and programs. She also successfully led communications and external affairs at the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), which serves more than 1.2 million residents in the Columbus region.

During Koprowski’s tenure at COTA she served in an executive role on a variety of nationally recognized initiatives including the launch of COTA’s first bus rapid transit service; a complete transit system redesign of COTA’s bus routes; deployment of COTA Plus to provide the first on-demand microtransit option in Central Ohio; and as a liaison to the Smart Columbus effort that is creating, testing and deploying new mobility solutions. While at COTA, the organization earned the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in 2018.

By joining TARTA, Koprowski will be returning home to the Toledo area. She is a graduate of Sylvania Northview High School and lived in Toledo while earning her Master of Public Administration from Bowling Green State University. Koprowski also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Ohio University.

“Growing up in the Toledo area, I was surrounded by transportation and mobility from the Jeep headquarters to the Motor City of Detroit to the many technical professionals and firms that support this industry,” said Koprowski. “I believe that Toledo and TARTA are uniquely poised to not just be involved in the mobility disruption occurring, but to lead it through the region’s culture of being inventors, creators and problem-solvers. I am excited to tap into that energy and the possibilities of TARTA to play a role in residents’ prosperity and Toledo’s success.”