Oct 5, 2021
CLEVELAND, OH – Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) CEO and General Manager India Birdsong will be honored by Smart Business Magazine as a Smart Women Award Honoree in the Progressive Woman Award category on October 7 at the Westin Cleveland Downtown. She will be recognized with the other honorees at the Smart Women Breakfast and featured in a special editorial report in the October edition of Smart Business Northeast Ohio.
Ms. Birdsong has served as CEO and General Manager of RTA since 2019.
“As a progressive woman, Ms. Birdsong has the ability to see opportunities and build upon them, create support teams and dedicate her work to the benefit of the organization and community she serves. And she does so by expertly balancing multiple competing interests – as a mother, CEO and civic leader,” her nomination noted.
Ms. Birdsong provides strategic leadership to advance RTA’s initiatives at a critical time for the organization. Paramount issues include replacing its aging rail fleet and securing additional and sustainable funding. Birdsong is leading the organization toward innovative solutions to significantly increase RTA’s customer base, improve service frequency and coverage, and expand RTA’s role in contributing to the economic development of the region.
At RTA, Ms. Birdsong oversees more than 2,000 employees at the largest transit system in Ohio, which provides more than 17 million annual rides to customers using the bus, rail, paratransit, trolley, and bus rapid transit system across the county’s 457 square miles. Responsible for managing the Authority’s $247 million operating budget, Ms. Birdsong is committed to transparent leadership, management accountability and sound financial oversight.
Ms. Birdsong welcomes the opportunity to join the distinguished women being honored for the 2021 Smart Women – Progressive Women Award.
Media Contact:
Linda Krecic
216-390-9605 (mobile)