CapMetro Board of Directors Swears in New Board Members

AUSTIN, TX – CapMetro’s Board of Directors swore in three new board members at their monthly meeting on Monday, February 27. 

Jose “Chito” Vela will serve as Austin City Council’s appointee to the CapMetro Board of Directors. Vela is currently the District 4 representative. He received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Before he was elected to the City Council in 2022, Vela worked as an immigration and criminal defense attorney at Walker Gates Vela. He also has served as the President of the Board of the Worker’s Defense Project.   
Vela has lived in East Austin for 20 years with his wife and three children.

Paige Ellis will join the CapMetro Board as the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) elected official appointee. Ellis, currently the Mayor Pro Tem for Austin City Council, was elected  2018 and represents District 8. Ellis earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has years of Marketing and Public Involvement experience and, prior to being elected to Austin City Council, she worked for an environmental firm that specialized in environmental compliance on housing development and regional transportation projects.

Ellis championed the effort to pass the $460 million Active Mobility Bond and has been an advocate for mobility and affordability in our region. She’s an avid volunteer and enjoys the active outdoor and music scene that the city of Austin offers.

Dianne Bangle joins the CapMetro board as CAMPO’s Business-Executive appointee. She currently serves as the CEO of the Real Estate Council of Austin where she oversees the 501 (c) (6) nonprofit organization of more than 1,900 commercial real estate leaders in the Central Texas business community.  Bangle is also a licensed attorney in both the states of Texas and Colorado. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law and earned her bachelor’s from the University of Washington.

She’s lived in Austin for 25 years and is dedicated to serving her community. She also serves on multiple boards in Austin, such as Transit Forward, Visit Austin and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

“Chito Vela, Paige Ellis and Dianne Bangle are all great additions to the Board and are all passionate about public service and giving back to their community,” said Chair Jeff Travillion. “I look forward to working with each of them as we continue to expand CapMetro throughout our region.”

The new Board Members will replace Ann Kitchen, Sabino “Pio” Renteria and Wade Cooper. Kitchen and Renteria stepped down from the CapMetro board in January and  Cooper’s last board meeting was February 27.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Tawaun Cole
CCR-Communications@CapMetro.org

Blythe Nebeker
CCR-Communications@CapMetro.org