CapMetro Elects New Board Officers, Welcomes Austin City Council Member Leslie Pool

AUSTIN, Texas (March 17, 2021) – At today’s CapMetro board meeting, the board of directors elected new board officers and welcomed Council Member Leslie Pool, a city of Austin appointee, to serve on CapMetro's board of directors.

Wade Cooper was re-elected as CapMetro’s board chair, Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion was elected as board vice chair, and Board Member Eric Stratton was elected as board secretary.

“I am honored to be re-elected as CapMetro’s board chairman,” said Board Chairman Wade Cooper. “We’ve got many projects ahead of us with Project Connect, and I look forward to working with the Austin Transit Partnership. I also want to welcome Council Member Pool. Her deeply rooted connection to the community and dedication to service will be great assets to the board.”

Council Member Pool was sworn in during the board meeting, and takes the place of Travis County Attorney Delia Garza, who stepped down from the CapMetro board at the end of 2020.

“I am excited to join the board of CapMetro at this time of significant growth for the transit agency,” said Pool. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues on the board of directors and with CapMetro’s expert staff as Austin forges its transit future.”

Elected to the Austin City Council in 2014, Leslie Pool's expansive legislative record focuses on the environment and sustainability; transportation; open government accountability and transparency; and ethics, campaign finance and lobbyist reform and reporting.

Pool led on adopting the city’s Energy Resource, Generation & Climate Protection Plan; Austin’s Climate Protection Plan; and the resolution creating a Community Climate Resilience Plan. She co-sponsored the vehicle electrification resolution and the resolution declaring a climate crisis. Her environmental goals target sustainability and resilience, improving standards for clean air and water, flood mitigation, stewardship of our water resources and livability. She is a diligent advocate for increased investments in civic assets like community parks, libraries, trails and open space.

In 2015, Pool traveled to Paris for the historic United Nations Climate Conference. The objective of the Paris Summit was to achieve a binding, universal agreement on climate. An additional outcome was renewed focus on cities as natural leaders in attaining net zero-emission and environmental sustainability goals. Pool works locally with organizations like ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to further Austin’s urban sustainability through policies that support low emission, nature-based, equitable and resilient systemic change.

Pool’s work on these issues includes broadening access to sustainable transit and trails for our community and the region and will continue as a member of the CapMetro board of directors. Having sponsored two successful transportation initiatives that furthered community goals for two new rail stations for key areas and an expanded Red Line Parkway Trail, Pool brings a successful track record and a focus on expanding transportation options for Austin and the region.

For more information on the CapMetro board, please visit CapMetro.org/Board-Meetings.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Samantha Alexander, 512-592-2171