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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Kevin Bueso is the RTA’s Chief Financial Officer/Senior Deputy Executive Director, Finance, Innovation, and Technology. Bueso is charged with overseeing the financial function and responsibilities of the RTA.
Prior to joining the RTA in 2023, Bueso spent his career in local government and finance, serving for three years as the Chief Financial Officer for McHenry County. He is experienced in strategic planning and has a background in change management, succession planning, oversight of IT functions, and capital and finance planning. Bueso is affiliated with a variety of professional associations and helped to create the initial Illinois Chapter of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN).
Born and raised in Honduras, Bueso is fluent in Spanish. He is a graduate of Roosevelt University, where he received both graduate and undergraduate degrees.
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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 Noback is the General Counsel at the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) where she oversees the Legal and Compliance Department which includes procurement/facilities, audit, and human resources.
Allison has been practicing law for over 20 years. Before becoming General Counsel, she held the roles of Director, Human Resources and Deputy General Counsel. 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.
