OUR STAFF

Christopher Cole – Executive Director of GMTA
Chris is the Executive Director of GMTA and has been in this position since 2003.  In addition to his role of Executive Director at GMTA, he is also the General Manager of Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA).   His previous professional experience has been as a public policy analyst for both the New York and Vermont State Legislatures. Chris currently serves on the following Boards and Committees: Board member on the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization, since 2001; member of the Public Transit Advisory Council, since 2001; a Board member for CarShare Vermont; a Board member on Vermont Public Transportation Association (VPTA) serving as Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee.  Chris has previously served on several advisory bodies having been appointed to the Vermont Rail Council in 2001 by Governor Dean and reappointed by Governor Douglas in 2003 and appointed by Governor Douglas to the Vermont Transportation Operations Council which advises the Secretary of Transportation on transportation operations and intermodal issues.  Chris also served for six years as a board member of the Northeastern Passenger Transportation Association (NEPTA). 

Chris is always thinking of innovative ways to make the GMTA bus service more efficient and convenient for central Vermont residents, as his staff can attest. There is no area of the agency that he doesn’t ask questions about the way things are done and why. He is a big proponent of more passenger amenities, so when you see a new bus shelter being built or notice a new bench along a GMTA route, you’ll know that Chris pushed to make it happen.

In his free time, Chris enjoys skiing and watching his two sons play soccer. Chris can be contacted at ccole@cctaride.org

Operations

The Operations Department is comprised of an amazing group of bus drivers, dispatchers and management staff, each dedicated in keeping the entire system running smoothly. Each day the operations team works with great diligence to provide the safest and most efficient public transportation service to the central Vermont region.  This is made evident through not only the level of service provided each day, but through the care in which it is performed. 

Maintenance

Our maintenance staff takes care of repairing the buses and completes preventative maintenance on the vehicles to extend the life expectancy and increase efficiency. The staff is not just highly skilled and meticulous in the work they do, but some of the most well respected mechanics in the region.  Our dedication to superior maintenance is the foundation to GMTA’s mission to provide safe and reliable transportation service.

Administrative Trip Planning

The Trip Planning staff is a group of extraordinary people who provide the day to day service of coordinating individual service and special need transportation.  This includes scheduling volunteer drivers, bus trips and taxi service for the most transit dependent members of our region.  Each staff member is able to handle multiple tasks with essential precision, knowing that each ride scheduled is vital, and sometimes life sustaining, for the client served.  Our trip planners are a unique group of people, not only in how they perform this challenging job each day, but in the way they befriend so many who call for their help.    

Community Relations

The Community Relations Department maintains the vital connection to the communities in which we serve.  This connection is strengthened each day by taking the time to know our community members through conversation, personal visits and working in collaborative efforts.   The department also manages local funding efforts, promotional material, traditional marketing efforts and the GMTA bus advertising program.