When John Metzinger joined Citilink in 2021, he knew he had his work cut out for him, but he was hopeful about the future of public transportation in Fort Wayne. With a cautious, yet optimistic outlook, he got to work, prioritizing making internal changes so that down the road, the agency would be better equipped to address the growing needs of the community.
He says their focus on capacities and competencies for leadership and staff has allowed them to put key foundation pieces in place. That strategy has proved effective – with Metzinger at the helm (or steering wheel, if you will), Citilink has been able to restore its ridership to 97% of pre-pandemic levels, become fully staffed, and bring on a chief financial officer with expertise on federal transit programs.
Rachel Von StroupJohn Metzinger became General Manager of Citilink Fort Wayne in April 2021.
With those foundational pieces in place, it would make sense for the Citilink team to transition its focus to addressing the growing transportation needs of Fort Wayne…