TARTA Board of Trustees Welcomes Megan Vahey Casiere

TARTA's Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Megan Vahey Casiere as the representative of the City of Waterville, adding another important voice to the team of public servants working to connect northwest Ohioans to essential destinations.

Casiere is President & CEO of WorkSpring, a regional employers’ association serving more than 650 organizations across Ohio. She previously served Lucas County for 10 years, including five years as County Administrator. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of the District of Columbia. Casiere is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Hospice of Northwest Ohio and serves on the boards The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo and the Employer Associations of America.

“I’m proud to represent the City of Waterville on TARTA’s Board and excited to join a team that is focused on solutions to make public transportation better,” said Casiere.

“At its core, TARTA helps residents get where they need to go. It connects people to work, medical appointments, shopping, and so many other parts of daily life. It also opens the door to everything northwest Ohio has to offer. Making those connections easier and more accessible improves quality of life.

“TARTA has made a lot of progress, and there is a real opportunity to keep that momentum going. I’m looking forward to supporting the team, making sure Waterville has a voice, and looking for ways to better connect our communities.”

TARTA’s Board of Trustees has guided the Authority through a wave of change that has seen services and coverage area added, a return to financial stability, the introduction of zero emission vehicles into the fleet, and an increase in ridership every year since the pandemic. In 2025, TARTA provided more than two million fixed route trips, 120,000 trips on TARTA Move paratransit, and close to 53,000 on TARTA Flex.

The passengers on those trips also enjoyed an elevated experience, with customer satisfaction rates from recent passenger polling reaching 93 percent for TARTA Move paratransit, 90 percent for TARTA Flex on-demand and 88 percent for fixed route.

“Megan’s passion for empowering people and making this community better is inspiring, and her voice and leadership will be so important to us as we continue to improve this system,” said TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski. “Her history of both public service makes her a great fit and a great representative for the City of Waterville.

“For 55 years, TARTA has been able to serve the public thanks in large part to people like Megan who take time out of their busy schedule to lift the entire community. Her expertise will be a welcome addition as we put TARTA on the path to serve northwest Ohio for another 55 years and beyond.”

TARTA’s Board of Trustees also includes:

• President Kendra Smith, Toledo
• Vice President Mary Morrison, Sylvania
• Heather Baker, Toledo
• Joel Beren, Sylvania Township
• Gary Gonya, Toledo
• Matt Killam, Lucas County
• Rev. Dr. W.L. Perryman III, Lucas County
• Karen Poore, Lucas County
• Zach Schmidt, Rossford
• Lou Thomson, Maumee
• Dr. Tiffany Whitman, Toledo