32 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
issues in the workplace. He is oft en
called upon for public meetings where
his Spanish-language skills are an asset,
giving residents the comfort of speaking
in their native tongue.
He’s involved in the community in
other ways, as well. He serves on the
board of directors at Frameline, whose
mission is to change the world through
the power of cinema. He helps Frameline
expose artists with unique voices to
audiences through fi lm festivals, youth
programs and workshops.
Fuentes has served in various community
roles, including as an elected
city of Oakland Community Development
Block Grant Board member,
where he championed funding for community
programs and helped direct $1.1
million in funding for youth to access
healthcare and job-training programs.
to homes and bring systems back online
as quickly as possible.
Gosman’s desire to innovate has led
to numerous process improvements
since coming to Region IV. Improving
the dialogue with between the FTA and
transit grantees, while leveraging innovative
processes, she played an integral
role in the development and execution of
the 2015 Southeastern Regional Transit
Conference sponsored by FTA, Georgia
Tech, and the Center for Urban Transportation
Research. FTA Region IV staff
were responsible for the management
of the three-day conference in which
more than 300 participants attended.
Gosman played an important part of the
development and organization of this
monumental eff ort, including ensuring
the conference was paperless using
smartphone apps.
A TRANSIT RIDER SINCE A CHILD IN
Los Angeles, California, Richard Fuentes
has a fi rst-hand understanding of
the importance of public transportation
and his experience guides his work
and his career path that brought him to
BART as the principal, government and
community relations representative.
Fuentes has been instrumental in
sharing the urgent message for rebuilding
BART’s infrastructure, attending
dozens of community meetings before
a $3.5 billion bond measure passed to
explain the need, and continuing to
educate the public on how this money
is being spent.
Fuentes recalled attending one public
meeting for residents around the West
Oakland BART Station who were concerned
about noise from BART trains.
He stayed long into the night, talking individually
with every person who wanted
answers. When he showed the group
how improvements to tracks and wheels
would ultimately reduce the noise problem,
they appreciated the frank answers.
Fuentes has promoted equality
within BART, serving on the agency’s
fi rst panel convened to discuss LGBTQ
SINCE BEGINNING HER TENURE AT THE
FTA, Richelle Gosman has been on the
forefront of ensuring it continually strives
to meet its goal of improving public transportation
for America’s communities
through her commitment to excellence,
striving for innovation and improvement,
and her focus on customer service.
Gosman is an integral member of the
region that partners with eight southeastern
states and the territories of Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to provide
more than $1 billion annually to nearly
200 transit agencies and departments. In
Federal Fiscal Year 2017 alone, Gosman
worked to award almost 100 grant applications
for more than $400 million.
When hurricanes Irma and Maria
struck, Region IV transit providers were
hit particularly hard. Region IV staff
worked tirelessly to coordinate with
transit agencies on status, damages, and
needs before, during and aft er the events.
Gosman was an instrumental part of the
eff ort, working to ensure FTA senior leaders
and other federal partners were aware
of the situation and able to best assist in
helping transit agencies return evacuees
Fact:
Fuentes grew
up the son of
immigrants in
South Central
Los Angeles and
didn’t learn to
read or write
English until the
5th grade; he
turned his early
challenges into
opportunities
and developed
a deep empathy
for others who
struggle.
MassTransitmag.
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“I am proud to be part of the public transit community
because I can see the impact of my work, because I am always
learning from my colleagues and because it allows me to
advocate for kids riding transit with their immigrant parents
taking public transit on their way to the American Dream!”
Fact:
Gosman
developed a
paperless system
and instruction
guide for an
electronic routing
system for the
region to review,
sign and respond
to important
documents.
MassTransitmag.
com/12422358
“Transit is such a small industry of people doing
what they can to deliver service to the public. The people you
meet and learn from in year one are likely to cross your path
again many times throughout the course of your career.”
Richard Fuentes
Principal,
Government
and Community
Relations
Representative
San Francisco Bay
Area Rapid Transit
District (BART)
Richelle Gosman
Community
Planner
Federal Transit
Administration
(FTA), Region 4
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