Former APTA Chair Jeff Nelson honored with Illinois Public Transportation Association Lifetime Achievement Award

MetroLINK CEO Jeff Nelson was awarded the William Volk Lifetime Achievement Award by the Illinois Public Transportation Association (IPTA). The award is presented to individuals who have had an extraordinary impact on public transportation in Illinois over their career. 

The award was presented to Nelson during IPTA's fall conference, held in Moline, Ill., with 275 transit professionals and vendors in attendance. 

Nelson became one of the youngest public transit CEOs in the country in the early 1980s and has dedicated his career to enhancing public transit in his community. Beyond his work in the Quad Cities, he has been instrumental in advocating for public transit in Springfield, Ill., and Washington, D.C. He has spent his entire career working with legislators to secure continued investment in public transportation.

His visionary leadership has continually raised the standard of excellence at MetroLINK, which has earned the agency recognition in the Quad Cities and beyond.   

“I have spent my entire career dedicated to public transportation and have loved every minute of it,” Nelson said. “Public transit is one of those industries that allow us as individuals to share our enthusiasm and passion for our community, by giving us the opportunity to help people be successful in their daily lives. That is why I have decided my life to improve public transportation not only in my community, but throughout the country.”