Metra’s Orseno to retire at end of 2017

Don Orseno, who began his career in 1974 as a ticket collector on the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, will retire as Metra executive director and CEO in December 2017.

The agency responsible for rail service between Chicago and its suburbs has launched a nationwide search with the aim of having a new executive director and CEO hired by the fall to ensure a smooth transition.

“Metra has been a great place to work for [more than] three decades and I’m extremely grateful for each and every one of the opportunities I’ve had along the way,” Orseno said. “By working closely with the Board of Directors and staff, we’ve been able to get through some tough times and accomplish great things. I’m pleased that the agency is back on track.”

Orseno, 62, joined Metra in 1984 rise through the ranks before being appointed executive director and CEO in August 2013, a role that became permanent in January 2014.

Metra says that key accomplishments during Orseno’s tenure have included the expansion of the agency’s railcar and locomotive rehabilitation program, implementation of new or enhanced safety programs, an overhaul of Metra’s Police Department, the development of Metra’s new enterprise resource planning system to replace the agency’s outdated back-office systems and a focus on customer service that has resulted in the launch of the Ventra App and the installation of Wi-Fi at downtown stations and on some railcars.

“Don’s retirement is a major loss to Metra. He has a nationwide reputation as an outstanding commuter railroad executive who is very well-respected within the railroad industry and by state legislators and members of Congress. As a railroader with 43 years of experience, he will be sorely missed,” said Metra Board Chairman Norman Carlson. “We are grateful for his tremendous service and pleased that he will stay on through the end of the year to help with the transition to new leadership.”