The California Transit Association (CTA) awarded its prestigious Distinguished Service Award to Victor Valley Transit Authority Executive Director/CEO Kevin Kane. Presented during the recent CTA Awards at the Fall Conference & Expo in Riverside, the award recognizes individuals who have had long and distinguished careers in the public transit industry and have made outstanding contributions to public transit.

Kane is no stranger to such recognition.

In 2012, he received the CTA Transit Leadership Award, which is awarded to individuals who provide strong leadership and vision to the transit industry. In 2011, Kane earned the California Association for Coordinated Transit (CalACT) General Manager of the Year Award and that same year also accepted the Outstanding Transportation Agency of the Year award for VVTA. The year before that in 2010 Kane was presented with the CalACT award for Agency of the Year as well as The Mojave Desert Air Quality District Exemplar Award in recognition of the agency’s energy-saving, carbon-friendly new bus facility and headquarters.

“With Kevin at the helm, we’ve watched this agency blossom from very humble beginnings,” said VVTA Board Chair and Victorville Mayor Gloria Garcia. “It’s moved from a small agency with a tiny and dated diesel fleet to a robust system with a clean air CNG fleet that now serves nearly a thousand square miles and features commuter bus service, lifeline service all the way from Needles, and affordable vanpool options. All of which improve access to employment opportunities for area residents.”

Before joining VVTA in 1998, Kane served as marketing and planning director for Knoxville Area Transit and previously worked in the newspaper business, also serving as Newspaper Advertising Bureau VP for five years. He currently serves as a CTA Executive Committee Member since 2010 and is the current CalACT Board Chair.