Two new additions will join TriMet’s executive leadership in January 2021. Ethan Benatan will become TriMet’s chief information officer (CIO), a position that is currently vacant. JC Vannatta will take the position of executive director of Public Affairs, replacing a retiring executive.
Ethan Benatan will begin his role as CIO on Jan. 4, 2021. He will bring to TriMet more than 20 years of experience leading high-level IT functions and strategy. Benatan most recently worked for the State of Oregon. He served as modernization director for the Oregon Employment Department for a year and as strategic technology officer for the state’s Enterprise Information Services for four years. While at the State of Oregon, Benatan led advancements in technology transformation projects and oversaw $500 million in statewide IT initiatives, governance and policy for agencies that serve more than a million Oregonians and employed more than 16,000 staff in the Health and Human Services sector.
Prior to working for the state, Benatan served in Chief Information Officer roles at Health Republic Insurance Company and at Marylhurst University. He also spent eight years as director of Computer User Services at Reed College.
Benatan holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, with a focus in artificial intelligence and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Microbology from the University of Cape Town. He is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum and a Fellow of the Leading Change Institute.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., Benatan grew up in South Africa and travelled widely before coming to Oregon in 2002. He is passionate about promoting equity and has volunteered at EDUCAUSE, a not-for-profit organization that’s mission is to use information technology to advance higher education initiatives.
JC Vannatta will advance to the position of executive director of Public Affairs starting Jan. 18. Vannatta is taking over from Bernie Bottomly who is retiring after two stints with TriMet that spanned nearly 17 years.
Vannatta is a familiar face at TriMet, having distinguished himself in a variety of positions within the agency over the course of 14 years.
Vannatta has brought energy, strategic direction, skill and leadership to his current position as TriMet’s managing director of communications, marketing and customer experience. In this role, he successfully developed the agency’s outreach and engagement framework, encouraged more diverse community engagement and championed transparent, proactive and positive strategic communication efforts.
Prior to serving in manager and director positions within TriMet’s Public Affairs Division, Vannatta worked for the Regional Transportation Authority in Chicago, the financial and oversight body for the three transit agencies in northeastern Illinois. He also worked for the Chicago Transit Authority, in TriMet’s Capital Projects Division and in broadcast media.
Vannatta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Communications/Public Relations from Montana State University (Billings) and holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), administered by the Public Relations Society of America and governed by the Universal Accreditation Board. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Explore Washington Park and is the former chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s Marketing and Communications Committee.
