Calif.’s Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) board of directors named Len Engel, the current director, operations and maintenance, as the new executive director. Engel’s extensive background in public transit, and his familiarity with the agency's goals and objectives, made him a natural choice for the position.

"We are thrilled to have Len Engel at the helm of AVTA as executive director," said Board Chairman Marvin Crist. "Our vision is clear: to be the preeminent leader in electric bus integration in the country. Len has a proven track record in all aspects of public transit operations that will be essential in helping us achieve our vision as we begin the transition to a 100% electric fleet. We are very excited about the future of AVTA under his leadership."

Engel joined AVTA in 2012 as the director, operations and maintenance, which included oversight and direction in all activities of the operations, maintenance and IT departments. He provided assistance to the executive director in many capacities, including administrating policies and procedures, coordination of activities within the department and with outside agencies, data analysis, and the development and implementation of numerous programs and projects.

Since the previous executive director's departure in January of 2015, Engel has been actively overseeing the day-to-day operations at AVTA, and is looking forward to leading the organization as its new head. He is also scheduled to speak at BusCon’s "Feature Panel: Practical Experiences with Electric Buses" session in Indianapolis Sept. 28 to 30.

"I am honored to have been offered this great opportunity at this point in my career," said Engel. "It's a pivotal time in the public transit industry, with new technology being introduced all the time. I'm excited to be able to see things like our innovative electric bus project help pioneer a new vision for what a 21st century transit agency can look like."