[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 102 (Tuesday, July 10, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF LEONARD RONIS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 10, 2012

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Leonard Ronis who 
passed away on July 4. Mr. Ronis will long be remembered in the Greater 
Cleveland area for his more than 6 decade career in public 
transportation. Leonard Ronis was born September 5, 1921, grew up in 
the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland during the Great Depression, 
and graduated from Glenville High School. He studied industrial 
psychology at Western Reserve University where he received his 
bachelors and masters degrees. He volunteered with the US. Army during 
World War II where he served in the Infantry, Foreign Language Training 
(Russian) and the Signal Corps. He finished his service as Officer in 
Charge of the Civilian Personnel Department of the Philadelphia Signal 
Depot.
  Leonard Ronis began his career in transit in 1946 upon leaving 
military service in World War II. He started in the Personnel 
Department at the Cleveland Transit System (CTS) and worked his way up 
to Personnel Director, Operations Manager and Assistant General Manager 
before becoming the last General Manager for CTS on November 1, 1974. 
At that time, he was a founder and past president of the Ohio Public 
Transit Association, an organization that played a significant role in 
developing the state legislation which allowed regional transit 
authorities to be created.
  As a Cleveland City Councilman and Council's representative in the 
negotiations which enabled the creation of a regional transit authority 
in 1974-75, I had the privilege of working with Leonard Ronis on the 
transition from a city-owned transit system. Leonard was a dedicated 
public servant who was a strong negotiator with only the best interest 
of the people who use and pay for public transit in mind. When the 
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) was created, he took 
the helm as General Manager and led the RTA through its first 7 years. 
Under his leadership, he won more than $320 million in federal funding 
for operations and capital expenses. He also saw ridership increase 70 
percent under his administration. Upon retirement in 1982, Leonard 
Ronis continued to apply his expertise in transit as a consultant for 
Parsons Brinckerhoff, a nationally known transit engineering firm based 
in New York City.
  In 1990, Leonard was named to the American Public Transit Association 
(APTA) Hall of Fame. In 2005, he received an award from the APTA for 
his sixty years of achievement and dedicated service in public 
transportation. In addition to being a founder and president of the 
Ohio Public Transit Association, he was a Member, Institute of 
Transportation Engineers; Board Member, Case Western Reserve University 
Alumni; Member, Visiting Committee of Cleveland State University 
College of Urban Affairs; and Board Member, Retired Senior Volunteer 
Program.
  Mr. Speaker, and respected colleagues, please join me in remembering 
Leonard Ronis, an esteemed public servant who dedicated his life and 
career to making public transportation better for the people who use it 
and depend on it to get around.

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