METRO’s People Movement highlights the latest leadership changes, promotions, and personnel news across the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility sectors.

In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at STV, San Diego MTS, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.

Vontas Names New GM 

Vontas appointed Richard Blackburn as its new GM. In this role, he will lead all aspects of the Vontas business, with full responsibility for strategy, operations, and performance across the organization.

Blackburn has held senior leadership roles at Vontas since the company launched in 2021, serving as vice president, overseeing the account management team and the sales and business development groups. Since last August, he has also overseen the company’s delivery, support, and technology groups. 

Before Vontas, Blackburn was a member of the Modaxo Group within Trapeze since 2016.

Peter Aczel, who held the GM role since 2021, will remain with Modaxo and continue as a group leader within the organization. In this role, he will support Vontas and other businesses across the portfolio, focusing on leadership development, strategic alignment, and long-term growth across Modaxo.

San Diego MTS Taps Brislin as Director, Transit Security and Passenger Safety

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) promoted Daniel Brislin to director of transit security and passenger safety. 

In his new role, Brislin will oversee MTS’s 81 Code Compliance Inspectors and 232 contracted Transit Security Officers to ensure the safety of passengers and employees on the transit system. Brislin takes over for Tim Curran, who retired in December 2025.

Brislin joined MTS in 2023 and has more than 28 combined years of public safety experience. During his previous role as the MTS deputy director of transit security and passenger safety, Brislin helped implement a comprehensive security initiative that reduced crime by 24% across the transit network in the first eight months of 2025.

Brislin brings a data-driven approach to crime-reduction strategies, informed by a full-time crime and data analyst who examines crime trends within the transit system. He also created a new investigator position within the department to investigate lewd acts, vandalism, and other crimes within MTS’s jurisdiction.

STV Names New Vice Presidents

STV promoted Suresh Karre, PE; Derek Overstreet, PE; and Michael Randolph, PE, to vice presidents. 

The appointments underscore STV’s continued investment in the Virginia and Washington, D.C. region, where the firm operates four offices.

Karre is a transportation engineering director with more than 20 years of experience leading complex infrastructure projects. Based in STV’s Fairfax, Virginia office, he specializes in multimodal transportation with an emphasis on traffic operations and safety, including projects that integrate bus rapid transit, light rail, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities. 

Overstreet is a senior project manager and structural engineer in STV’s Richmond, Virginia, office, with over 20 years of experience delivering rail, transit, and highway transportation projects throughout the Southeast. His expertise includes central bridge, tunnel, and passenger rail infrastructure projects, and he is recognized for delivering durable solutions that enhance safety and connectivity. 

Randolph has more than 20 years of experience managing transit, highway, and rail projects across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. An engineering director in STV’s D.C. office, he leads complex multidisciplinary teams. He is known for his collaborative approach to innovative project delivery methods, including design-build and progressive design-build. 

STV has a decades-long presence in the Virginia and Washington, D.C. area, providing engineering design, program management, project management, and architecture services on some of the region’s most transformative infrastructure projects. Its local portfolio includes the Richmond Pulse BRT, WMATA Northern Bus Garage, and more. 

Cincinnati Metro Names Director of Procurement

Cincinnati Metro appointed Jason Roe as director of procurement.

Roe brings more than 25 years of experience in the transit industry to his new role, where he will oversee, monitor, and ensure compliance with Metro’s procurement activities associated with the $220 million annual capital and operating budget.

Roe is currently transitioning from his role as director, infrastructure and development programming, where he oversaw three key areas: the Metro Transit Infrastructure Fund program; Metro’s rail right-of-way ownership and disposition activities; and all contractual and procurement-related program activities supporting strategic planning, development, and innovation. 

He previously held several leadership roles at Metro, including senior manager of procurement, inventory manager, quality assurance and quality control manager, and fleet maintenance supervisor.