METRO's People Movement covers the latest personnel moves in the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility industries. 

In this latest edition, METRO covers the latest announcements at Phoenix Motor, HNTB, and more.

John Walsh to Lead Phoenix Motor 

Phoenix Motor Inc. appointed John Walsh as president of Phoenix Motor and CEO of PhoenixEV, the company’s U.S.-based commercial EV brand focused on light, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles built in America.

Denton Peng remains CEO of Phoenix Motor, continuing to lead the company’s overall strategic direction, innovation roadmap, and global operations.

Walsh is a seasoned executive with over 35 years of leadership in the transit and electric mobility industries, most recently serving as president of EO Charging Americas, where he led commercial fleet electrification efforts across North America. 

He previously held key leadership positions at Proterra as COO, where he drove record electric transit bus sales and led the Transit, Powered, and Energy business units. Walsh also served as president and COO of Davey Coach, president of REV Bus Group, and CEO of MV-1/VPG, a specialty OEM serving the paratransit market.

Walsh will be responsible for driving PhoenixEV’s business strategy and execution across its expanding U.S. footprint, with a focus on growing market share in the zero-emission transit and commercial fleet sectors, scaling production capabilities, and accelerating customer adoption of Phoenix’s electric mobility solutions.

Southern California’s Metrolink Names New CFO

Metrolink, Southern California’s regional passenger rail provider, elevated Tom Schamber to the role of chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately. 

A seasoned leader with nearly three decades of strategic management experience in accounting, audit, and financial operations, Schamber has been a driving force at the agency since 2016. It has led the department in an interim capacity since April 2025.

As CFO, Schamber oversees all aspects of Metrolink’s financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, contracts, procurement, grants, payroll, and reporting. He sets the vision for the department’s goals and priorities in alignment with Metrolink’s strategic plan and ensures that financial considerations are integrated into agency-wide decision-making. 

Schamber directs the annual budget process, allocates resources to meet service needs, and guides investments toward projects that enhance the customer experience and advance Metrolink’s role in the region. He is also responsible for making internal processes more efficient, transparent, and practical, including identifying opportunities for innovation that improve performance and support long-term sustainability.

Jeremy Sass to Lead HNTB’s National Transit Architecture Practice Leader

HNTB has named Jeremy Sass as its national transit architecture practice leader.

Sass has served in a range of strategic leadership roles at HNTB over the last decade and brings nearly 25 years of transit architecture and strategic business development experience to the role.

He will lead strategic growth initiatives, enhance client relationships, and advance HNTB’s position as a national leader in transit architecture. His expertise in aligning transit architecture projects with community goals and client needs will drive the firm's continued success in delivering transformative transit environments.

Sass steps into this role at a defining moment for transit in the U.S. His leadership reflects HNTB’s continued investment in shaping thoughtful, high-impact architecture that moves people and strengthens communities.