MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT: Mia Harvey

mharvey@matatransit.com

Phone: 901-273-6366

MEMPHIS AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY PROMOTES

AND HIRES NEW DIRECTORS

NEW POSITIONS WILL INVOLVE SAFETY, MAINTENANCE, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - MATA has expanded their executive team, including announcing key promotions and a new position.

La Barbara Houston has been promoted to Director of Service Delivery to oversee the Fixed Route, MataPlus, Ready and Trolley Operations. She has previously served in roles as Director of MATAplus and Director of Bus Maintenance respectively.

Avery Mull has been promoted to Director of Fleet Maintenance to oversee all maintenance functions for the agency fleet, bus and trolley. He has previously served as Deputy Director of Maintenance, followed by Assistant Director and Director of Maintenance.

"MATA takes pride in hiring the best employees in the transportation industry," said Chief Executive Officer Gary Rosenfeld. "La Barbara and Avery are perfect examples of the career journey MATA offers to its employees."

Making rider engagement and experience a priority, Keith Ferguson will serve as Customer Experience Officer, to address rider relations and concerns. Recently, MATA expanded its dispatch center to boost direct communication with riders.

“As we enhance our mobility options to the community, this role is a testament to MATA’s strategy and overall prioritization of customer experience,” said Deputy Chief Executive Officer Bacarra Mauldin. “As our first Customer Experience Officer, Ferguson will be empowered to work across the agency to make sure we remain focused on our customers in everything we do and will provide a critical link to the communities we serve.”

La Barbara Houston

Director of Service Delivery

La Barbara joined MATA in October of 2009. She has served in the capacity of ADA Specialist and Senior Manager of MATAplus. La Barbara was promoted to Director of MATAplus overseeing MATAplus operations, Ready by MATA, MATAplus Reservations and Call Center. Additionally, she also served on the Mayor’s Council for Citizens with Disabilities. La Barbara has over thirty years of working in the disability field. She attended LeMoyne Owen and the University of Memphis.

As a Director of Service Delivery, she will be spearheading and overseeing the company's service and delivery operations to ensure efficiency and safety.

Avery Mull

Director of Fleet Maintenance

Avery joined MATA in January of 2000 where he was hired as an electrician and quickly promoted to Supervisor of Bus Electronics. After a few years, Avery was again promoted to Deputy Director of Maintenance, followed by Assistant Director, and to the role of Director of Maintenance. Prior to joining MATA, Avery was a distinguished Marine of our armed forces. He is a tried-and-true Golden Wildcat from Melrose High School and graduated from the State Technical Institute of Memphis with an Associate Degree in Electrical technology. Additionally, he holds a Shelby County Electrical License and an EPA HVAC Licensed.

As the Director of Fleet Maintenance, Avery will oversee the agency’s fleet of vehicles (buses, cars, trolleys, and specialized vehicles), management of fleet operations, including responsibility for preventative and demand maintenance, purchasing of vehicles and equipment, technical training of employees, and overall employee supervision and the instituting of safety standards.

Keith Ferguson

Customer Experience Officer

Keith Ferguson is MATA's first Customer Experience Officer. Keith brings more than 20 years of knowledge in Customer Service, Neighborhood Complaints, and Community Engagement on a government level - making him the ideal candidate for this position. As a graduate of the Memphis Academy of Civic Engagement and Liberty University, he has served on various non-profit boards and at-risk advisory committees.

As the Customer Experience Officer, he is tasked with developing, maintaining, and strengthening the organization’s relationship with its customers and overall customer experience.

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ABOUT MATA

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the public transportation provider for the Memphis area. As one of the largest transit operators in the state of Tennessee, MATA transports customers in the City of Memphis and parts of Shelby County on fixed-route buses, paratransit vehicles, and vintage rail trolleys.