TriMet GM Doug Kelsey will retire on March 5, when his multi-year contract expires. A search for Kelsey’s replacement will begin immediately.

“I can’t thank the community, our riders, our employees and the Board of Directors enough for the opportunity to serve TriMet,” said Kelsey. “We have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time and it’s a testament to our amazingly talented employees and community partners. The pandemic and the economy may have put a damper on some of our efforts, but this agency is ready when the time comes because we know how important transit is for our future. Thank you to everyone who has supported my efforts over the past five years.”

Kelsey first served as TriMet’s COO, from November 2015 through March 5, 2018. TriMet’s board then selected Kelsey as GM to replace retiring GM Neil McFarlane, following an international search and extensive community engagement.

Kelsey’s departure will come after leading TriMet through its biggest challenges ever — operating transit during a worldwide pandemic, a struggling economy, nightly demonstrations, and wildfires.  Under Kelsey’s leadership, TriMet has taken dramatic steps to help riders and employees stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Kelsey’s direction, TriMet implemented its first comprehensive strategic business plan. The rolling five-year plan lays the framework for TriMet to achieve overall strategic goals and objectives in response to projected regional population and employment growth, while pursuing continuous improvement. Through this approach, divisions across the agency have aligned priorities to better track progress, plan for future needs, match growth with performance and prioritize all efforts to meet customers’ needs.