Governor names Thomas to GRTA Board
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Jeanie Thomas to the 15-member board of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority in July. Thomas is a senior research associate in the Fiscal Research Center.

GRTA assists the Governor's Office in developing transportation policies, and helps to establish priorities for transportation funds. The authority works with state and regional agencies on transportation planning, monitors the effectiveness of air quality improvements and promotes the coordination of land and transportation planning.

"These issues are addressed most effectively when GRTA works cooperatively with the public and its partners," says Thomas. An example is GRTA's partnering with 11 metro counties and the City of Atlanta to operate the Xpress bus system, which began operations in June. Before then, less than half of these counties had offered mass transit services.

In May, Thomas returned to the Fiscal Research Center after spending more than a year "on loan" to the Governor's Office as Perdue's chief policy advisor in transportation, economic development and natural resources. While there, she helped guide development of the $15.5 billion Fast Forward transportation plan, assisted in developing Georgia’s first statewide water planning legislation, and helped coordinate the work of the Governor's Advisory Council on Land Conservation Partnerships. She has been with Georgia State University since 1997.

Thomas says she feels very fortunate to help address these policy issues at this unique time in Atlanta's history. She believes the region will continue to add residents and businesses that will fuel its future transportation challenges. "I think it is critical to make transportation investments that are cost effective, timely and accountable to the public," she says. "As a region, we need to explore the political feasibility of additional transportation and transit funding sources. Each of these issues will directly impact the quality of life in our region."

Photos: Jeanie Thomas (top) of the FRC has been helping Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue (above, with Dr. Thomas) make policy decisions since 2003.