Staff
Led by Executive Director Leanne Redden, the RTA staff has broad expertise in transit administration, financing, planning, and programming.
Led by Executive Director Leanne Redden, the RTA staff has broad expertise in transit administration, financing, planning, and programming.
As described below, the RTA Senior Executive Team is a group of dedicated professionals who work alongside the Board of Directors. These leaders come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds that work together to plan and implement the agency’s long-term transit success. Each committed team member brings their own expertise and leadership to the agency.
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Leanne Redden is Executive Director of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The agency manages an annual regional transit operating budget of approximately $3 billion with assets of approximately $160 billion and a more than $8.3 billion five-year capital program.
Under Redden’s leadership, the RTA created Invest in Transit, the regional transit strategic plan covering 2018-2023 that makes the case for the region’s capital funding needs. Redden was pivotal in regional advocacy efforts that culminated with the 2019 passage of Rebuild Illinois, the largest capital bill in Illinois history. Before joining the RTA, Redden was Chief of Planning for the Illinois Tollway and Director of Transportation for the Village of Schaumburg. She was a key player in Illinois’ 2008 Transit Funding and Governance Reform Legislation. Redden was named 2015 “Woman of the Year” by the Chicago chapter of WTS and is a Conference of Minority Transportation Officials 2016 “Woman Who Moves the Nation.”
In 2021, she was appointed as one of two "U.S. Ambassadors" to the Policy Board that governs UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics, or the International Association of Public Transport), founded in 1885 to advocate for sustainable urban mobility. She sits on the Board of American Public Transportation Association (APTA). In 2022, Redden was elected Secretary to the 2022-2024 WTS (Women’s Transportation Seminar) International Board of Directors.
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Bill Lachman is the RTA’s Interim Chief Financial Officer/Senior Deputy Executive Director of Finance, Innovation, and Technology (FIT). He is currently the RTA Treasurer and Manager of Budget and Financial Analysis. Bill is responsible for the $3.5 billion annual regional public transportation operating budget, oversees the investment and debt portfolios of the RTA, and chairs RTA Pension Board of Trustees. He works collaboratively with the finance teams of the CTA, Metra, and Pace, and manages RTA’s relationships with financial institutions, rating agencies, and financial advisors.
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Nadine Lacombe was appointed General Counsel in June 2012.
As the RTA’s chief legal counsel, she provides advice regarding regulatory compliance and statutory powers and requirements, oversees litigation, procurement, contracting, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, audit and facilities and coordinates the drafting and adoption of ordinances and resolutions by the RTA Board.
Nadine has over 30 years of legal experience. Most recently, she served as General Counsel of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the agency overseeing all of the State’s administrative functions. There she managed the agency’s legal affairs in the areas of labor relations, employment, information technology, procurement, diversity in contracting, employee benefits and property management. Additionally, Nadine was an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney for ten years and later held positions with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the law firms of Sidley Austin, LLP, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, LLP, as Global Director of Diversity, and as a municipal finance attorney with Chapman and Cutler, LLP. Her professional background combines a litigation and transactional practice with years of public service and policy experience.
Nadine holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana and a law degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
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Jeremy LaMarche is the RTA’s Director of Government Affairs and Counsel. He manages the agency’s Government Affairs Department, providing strategic advice and analysis on issues relating to the RTA’s federal, state and local legislative, regulatory and policy agendas.
LaMarche joined the RTA in January, 2013 as the Deputy Director of Government Affairs. In that role, he represented the RTA’s interests before the General Assembly and various state agencies, and assisted in litigation matters.
Prior to joining the RTA, LaMarche served as Associate Legal Counsel in the Office of the Illinois Senate President and as the Assistant Freedom of Information Officer for the Illinois Senate. During that time, LaMarche served as legal counsel and parliamentarian to the Senate Judiciary and Criminal Law Committees, and worked on legislative redistricting litigation. Previously, LaMarche was an associate at a law firm where he litigated in state and federal court.
Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, LaMarche received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a law degree from Loyola University Chicago, where he graduated cum laude and served as an editor on law review. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.
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Jill is responsible for facilitating the daily operations of the agency and its employees, advising the Executive Director and staff on overall agency strategy, the allocation of staff resources, and setting and executing short-and long-term work plans and initiatives by overseeing the work plan for the agency. Additionally, she manages the operations of the Capital Programming and Planning department. This includes the development and implementation of the regional five-year capital program for CTA, Metra and Pace; the planning and market development work; and coordinates with the Service Boards, regional planning bodies, and Finance and Legal staff to direct the formulation of regional transit plans and investments. Prior to joining the RTA, she served as the Chief of Staff for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the regional planning agency for metropolitan Chicago.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Jill has a Bachelor of Science in Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois in Springfield.
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Michael VanDekreke is the RTA’s Director of Mobility Services, where he oversees the operations of the RTA’s Travel Training program, the ADA Paratransit Certification Program, the Reduced Fare and Ride Free programs, and customer service.
VanDekreke joined the RTA in 2005 working as a contractual ADA paratransit eligibility certifier and then as a Travel Trainer. In this role, he taught individuals with disabilities and older adults how to use the CTA, Metra and Pace buses and trains. Mr. VanDekreke was then promoted to Manager of the Mobility Management division of the Mobility Services Department until he was named to his current position in 2014.
Prior to joining the RTA, VanDekreke was in private practice as a psychotherapist and worked with the Pride Institute conducting individual, couples and group counseling. He also managed multiple programs serving more than 400 children and families with disabilities during his tenure at the United Cerebral Palsy of Will County.
VanDekreke earned his Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Illinois State University and Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
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Allison S. Noback is the Director of Human Resources and Ethics Officer at the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), where she manages a staff of human resource professionals. Allison oversees employee relations, recruitment, benefit and compensation administration, employee retention, training and development, policy and procedure development.
Allison also serves as the Ethics Officer, acting as liaison between the RTA and the Executive Inspector General and the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. In this capacity, she provides guidance to the RTA employees in the interpretation and implementation of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.
Allison held the role of Deputy General Counsel before becoming the Director of Human Resources. Prior to joining the RTA, Allison was the Chief Attorney in the Corporate Law and Litigation Group at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where she worked on numerous high-profile procurements and litigation. She also spent several years at a boutique law firm, handling complex commercial litigation cases.
Allison earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Speech Communications from the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign and a law degree from Loyola University Chicago. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
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Tina joined the RTA as Director of Communications in October 2020. She oversees the agency’s media relations, outreach and engagement, digital media, and other external communications.
Tina has more than 20 years of combined experience in communications and public policy. Prior to joining the RTA, she spent almost six years at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Most recently she served as the agency’s first Director of Innovation and Strategic Alignment, and prior to that as its Communications Principal, where she was responsible for communications strategy during the development and launch of ON TO 2050, the region’s long-term comprehensive plan. She spent the first 12 years of her career working at a variety of marketing agencies for clients such as Allstate, United, Sprint, and the Chicago History Museum.
Tina holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Kansas and a Master’s of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois Chicago.
