Clifford named CEO of Chicago’s Metra

The Metra Board of Directors has selected Alexander D. Clifford, an executive with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to be the commuter rail agency's executive director and chief executive officer. The appointment was made in a unanimous vote by the 11-member Metra board after a nationwide search conducted by Slavin Management Consultants, a government executive search firm. "His experience as a big-picture policy-maker and a day-to-day operations manager make him uniquely qualified to lead Metra," Metra Chairman Carole R. Doris said. "It is my belief that he is the right man for the job at the right time." Mr. Clifford said he is coming to Metra with a reform agenda. "The Metra Board has tasked me with restoring public confidence in our agency by instilling strong financial and management controls and inspiring Metra employees to meeting these important challenges," he said. "We will also continue to modernize our operation including incorporating new technology for better customer communications." Clifford, 51, most recently served as executive officer, high-speed rail, for Metro, working as an ombudsman with the California High Speed Rail Authority to help facilitate the integration of high-speed train service into existing transportation corridors in Los Angeles County. He was responsible for making sure the interests of the county, various municipalities and other stakeholders were represented and that the potential impacts of the project were properly addressed. Clifford also oversaw Metro's interest in the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink commuter rail) as well as its interests in the Los Angeles-San Diego Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN).