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In a memo sent earlier today to the Leadership Team and employees within the Deputy CEO’s Office, Angel Peña outlined a focused organizational realignment that will be implemented by June 30, 2026.
Peña noted that no filled positions will be eliminated as part of the realignment and that many roles will remain unchanged. Approximately 50 vacant positions will be removed through consolidation and clearer alignment of responsibilities, supporting responsible stewardship of public resources. The Safety and Environmental Compliance, Civil Rights, and Contracting and Procurement divisions will remain structurally unchanged.
The Planning and Capital Programs departments will be consolidated into a single Infrastructure and Planning Services Division. “This consolidation aligns long-term planning and capital delivery within one coordinated structure designed to improve execution, accountability, and delivery of infrastructure investments,” Peña wrote. The consolidation also streamlines responsibilities across related functions to support more coordinated project delivery.
The realignment supports the agency’s Building a Better RTD strategic initiative by strengthening coordination across planning, real estate, engineering, and infrastructure delivery and reinforcing disciplined management of infrastructure investments, he said.
Click the link below to read the memo.
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| RTD appoints Kellie Irving as Civil Rights Division Director | | Civil rights, equity, and regulatory compliance leader Kellie Irving has been selected as Director of RTD’s Civil Rights Division following a national search. Her career spans more than two decades across major public agencies, transportation authorities, health care organizations, and municipal governments. She joins the agency on Monday, March 16. | | |
RTD-PD patrolling from two new substations to boost visibility, response | One substation is located at RTD’s Elati light rail facility in Englewood, providing officers better access to the southern Denver metro area, including RidgeGate Parkway, Littleton•Downtown, Littleton•Mineral, Evans, and Englewood stations.The second is at Downtown Boulder Station. The new substations will be a pilot program for the department to assess the benefits of having a direct presence in the patrolling area rather than routinely dispatching officers to their assigned areas. |
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RTD announces 2026 Eno/MAX participants | Eight RTD employees have been selected to participate in the Eno Center for Transportation’s MAX Program in 2026, joining a cohort of colleagues from Sound Transit in Seattle and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over the course of the program, each individual will spend time at all three participating agencies to learn from industry peers and work through a business case proposal. RTD employees will refine and present these to the agency’s Leadership Team later this year. |
| Women's History Month: Resilience and Reinvention — Women Shaping the Future of Transportation | |
Diversity Spotlight celebrates the diversity of RTD employees and the larger community that RTD serves and fosters an appreciation of our social and cultural similarities and differences. Diversity Spotlight supports RTD’s values of passion, respect, diversity, trustworthiness, collaboration, and ownership.
Women’s History Month traces its roots to the broader women’s rights movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, which advanced voting rights, workplace protections, educational access, and civil liberties. For generations, women shaped public institutions and civic life, often without formal recognition in historical narratives.
| | In memoriam: Justin Stone, Supervisor, LRT Control | | | | |
RTD mourns the loss of Navajo-based LRT SCADA technician Justin Stone, who joined the agency in February 2017. He died on Feb. 24.
In a memo sent to all employees on Feb. 25, Chief People Officer Lili Tran shared how Stone was reliable and a team player.
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“Justin was a valued member of the LRT SCADA team,” Tran wrote. “He was always helpful and willing to complete any assignment that he was given with a positive attitude. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew and worked alongside him.”
If you would like to speak with someone about this loss, call RTD’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1.800.284.1819. Employees in Rail Operations are also invited to contact General Superintendent of Infrastructure Brian Farris at 303.299.3457. All affected employees are encouraged to contact their supervisor, mentor, or another member of management for assistance.
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| Welcome to RTD's newest employees | | Seventeen employees joined the agency at Monday’s orientation. Welcome! | | Every day across the Denver metro area, RTD employees are making lives better through connections. The agency is proud to spotlight our exceptional workforce who go above and beyond in their roles and embody RTD’s core values. Join us in celebrating colleagues who personify the values of passion, respect, diversity, trustworthiness, collaboration, and ownership. | | Light rail operator returns valuable item to customer | I forgot something super valuable on the train when I deboarded, and the operator, Andre Hut, was gracious enough to grab it when he saw it and to return it to me when he made it back to Garrison Station. He turned a truly frantic and stressful event into a moment of relief. He certainly made my life better. | | Bus operator details what to do in case of an emergency | Route AB2 operator Michelle Coates gave a very welcoming and thorough explanation of what to do in case of an emergency. In my nearly two years of riding with RTD, I have never been told what to do if something occurs! She is very friendly and knowledgeable and exceeds all expectations. | | |
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March’s Operator of the Month is Gregory Nelson from Platte Division. Nelson was selected due in large part to his professionalism and kindness as an operator on the Shoppers Special route. His calm demeanor, combined with his exceptional driving skills, allowed him to stay on time, despite heavy traffic and construction along the route.
“Gregory consistently demonstrates dedication to making lives better through connections by ensuring his customers reach their destinations safely, comfortably, and on time,” said Kalee Wallace, Assistant Manager of Platte Division.
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| Best Dressed Operator of the Week: Marie Johnson | This week’s best dressed operator is instructor Marie Johnson from District Shops! Thanks, Marie, for setting a great example of how to represent RTD for the agency's operators in training. | | |
Amber Ellis
Dispatcher (formerly Bus Operator)
Spencer Sedbrook
Lead Public Safety Dispatcher (formerly Public Safety Dispatcher)
Boubacar Diawara
Dispatcher (formerly Bus Operator)
Emma Galindo
Bilingual TIC Operator (formerly Business Support)
Ashley Diaz
Bilingual TIC Operator (formerly Sales/Information Representative)
Laura Garibay Ramirez
LRT Controller (formerly LRT Division Supervisor)
Any employees interested in similar opportunities in the future should visit RTD's Careers page.
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| The Great Copilot Journey: Get organized and increase organizational skills with Copilot Chat | | | | |
The Great Copilot Journey rolls on! This week, learn about ways Copilot Chat can improve one’s organizational skills, whether through improving team collaboration or by streamlining the workday.
Click the link below to take the next step in the journey.
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Reminder: Dialogue with Debra is March 19 | Join General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson and members of RTD’s Leadership Team at the first all-hands forum of the year, at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 19, in the operator break room at East Metro Division. Employees at East Metro are welcome to attend the live session. Everyone else can tune into the livestream via Zoom. Questions can be submitted in advance through a form on the Dialogue with Debra page on the Hub. Links to the Zoom stream and the question form can be accessed through the link below. |
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Wellbeing Connection: Keeping tabs on credit | |
“Your credit score is more than just a number. It’s a measure of your financial health, your trustworthiness, and your future potential.” – Suze Orman
The theme of financial well-being continues with spotlighting credit education. March is National Credit Education Month, dedicated to raising awareness about credit and the importance of responsible credit management. To learn more, take some time to review the Credit Education Guide provided by the National Financial Educators Council.
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| Lunch-n-Learn recording now available on the Hub: Customer Experience, Transit Utilization Action Plan | | | | In the latest Lunch-n-Learn, listen as members of the Communications and Engagement and Information Technology departments share details on the ongoing Customer Experience and Transit Utilization Action Plan. Click the link below to view a recording of the session, now available on the Hub. | | |
Communication and Engagement offering training sessions for Impact Team and Community Engagement opportunities | | |
To support employees who may be interested in volunteering for an Impact Team assignment or activities hosted by Community Engagement, two training sessions are available later this month:
- 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, March 24
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1-3 p.m. Thursday, March 26
Training will consist of essential How to Ride transit education, navigating service disruptions with customers, safety practices while volunteering, RTD applications, Respect the Ride, volunteering for high-volume events, and more.
Sign up by completing the form linked below by Tuesday, March 17. A calendar invite containing a virtual meeting link will be sent to attendees by email.
Have questions? Contact Business Program Manager Betsy Hinojosa (betsy.hinojosa@rtd-denver.com).
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| From Contracting and Procurement: Introducing Procurement Pulse: Connecting, informing, and supporting you | |
Contracting and Procurement is excited to introduce a new addition to Inside Connections: Procurement Pulse! The team will be providing regular updates and insights designed to better support agency partners.
Through Procurement Pulse, employees can expect timely procurement information, training opportunities, practical tips, process reminders, and staff highlights to introduce the professionals who support the agency’s procurement and contracting needs. The team will be seeking feedback, questions, and topic suggestions to ensure they are sharing information that is relevant, helpful, and responsive to employees’ needs.
The team looks forward to strengthening collaboration, increasing transparency, and continuing to serve as a trusted resource for all of RTD’s procurement and contracting needs. Stay tuned for upcoming features.
| | RTD has a number of solicitations currently underway at the agency or planned for the near future. To view and download current solicitations, see upcoming opportunities, and review pending and awarded contracts, follow the links below. | | | | Debra's Quote of the Week | |
"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."
— Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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| What did you think of this edition of Inside Connections? | | | | |
Need to report a concern with a vehicle, bus route, rail line or customer facility? Fill out the OneRTD Care Reporting Form by clicking the link below. |
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