Kirt Conrad - CEO, Stark Area Regional Transit Authority

Kirt Conrad has been the CEO of the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) in Canton, Ohio, since 2009.  With 200 employees, SARTA operates 100 buses including diesel electric hybrids, biodiesel, and compressed natural gas and hydrogen fuel cell buses. Together with Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research, SARTA launched the Midwest Fuel Cell Center of Excellence, funded by the Federal Transit Administration. Prior to his current role, Kirt served as Planner, Grants Manager, and Planning Director for Akron's METRO Regional Transit Authority. He is the former president of the Transit Health Pool of Ohio, the immediate past president of the Ohio Public Transit Association, treasurer of the Ohio Transit Risk Pool, Chair of the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition, and Committee Member for the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Zero Emission Bus Specification Committee, as well as Workforce Vice Chair of APTA’s Research and Demonstration Committee. SARTA's 21 fuel cell bus fleet is the country's largest fleet outside of California, and was funded entirely by state and federal grants.