TARTA's Koprowski, Tyler Earn Ohio Public Transit Association Honors

TARTA's continued push to connect northwest Ohioans to their community caught the attention of the Ohio Public Transit Association, as two team members have been honored with OPTA Excellence Awards.

During Thursday’s awards luncheon at OPTA’s Best of the Midwest Transit Conference & Expo, TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski garnered the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Community Affairs Manager Kwinlyn Tyler was named an Under 40 Rising Star award winner.

Laura Koprowski has been the CEO of TARTA since 2021 and has more than 25 years of leadership experience specific to transportation. Prior to her arrival at TARTA, she was the Executive Director of OPTA, the Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications at the Central Ohio Regional Transit Authority, and the Director of Public & Government Affairs at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

Since taking the reins at TARTA, Laura has overseen an expansion in service area, a successful campaign to modernize TARTA’s funding structure at the ballot box, the launch of an on-demand transportation service in TARTA Flex, and significant improvements in ridership, employee retention and customer satisfaction.

Kwinlyn Tyler arrived at TARTA in March of 2024 after serving as Project Manager with the Lucas County Department of Planning and Development. In less than two years as TARTA’s first Community Affairs Manager, she has dramatically increased community partnerships, event participation and engagement with government entities and area businesses. 

Kwinlyn’s work has led directly to an increase in youth ridership through the Youth Summer Blast Pass program. Instituted in 2023, this program allows free rides on all TARTA services for pass-holders ages 6-19 from when school lets out for the summer through August 31. Under her guidance, the number of rides taken using the pass has grown 56 percent since the first year of the program.

Tyler was also among several members of TARTA’s team presenting during educational sessions at the conference. She delivered Tell One Story: Aligning Marketing Strategy With Government Relations Advocacy For Greater Impact. 

TARTA Talent Acquisition Manager Dr. Lee Gibson will present Driving Results: High Impact Strategies For Recruiting & Retaining Bus Operators, and TARTA Deputy CEO Rick Bailey and Transit Planning Project Manager Kali Sawaya joined a panel to present Workforce Mobility: Early Lessons & Strategies. 

OPTA is a unified voice for Ohio’s 63 transit agencies. It serves to increase funding opportunities for transit, drive economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for Ohioans who depend on those agencies.