Scott Smith, a private sector CEO, accountant and attorney, was elected as mayor of the City of Mesa in 2008. He used his business experience to reorganize the city and reduce the city’s budget by nearly 20%.
Scott Smith, former Mayor of Mesa and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, was selected as the interim CEO of Valley Metro. An employment agreement is being prepared with an effective date of Feb. 1, 2016.
Smith, a private sector CEO, accountant and attorney, was elected as mayor of the City of Mesa in 2008. He used his business experience to reorganize the city and reduce the city’s budget by nearly 20%. Smith spearheaded efforts to attract new and small businesses to the area, create economic activity with spring training facility investments and a thriving East Valley airport and leverage grassroots, community support for parks and other city enhancements.
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Additionally, he was successful in recruiting five liberal arts colleges to Mesa, complementing the recent light rail expansion into the downtown area. Smith left office in spring 2014 to run for state elected office. Most recently, he served as a Resident Fellow in the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Eric Anderson has served as the acting CEO since December 2015 following the departure of Stephen R. Banta. Anderson will stay on board through the execution of an employment agreement with Smith, eventually returning to his post as Transportation Director for the Maricopa Association of Governments.
Smith has agreed to serve as interim CEO until the selection process of a permanent CEO for Valley Metro is complete.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
