[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 181 (Wednesday, November 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6563-S6564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         TRIBUTE TO LEE GIBSON

 Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I come forward today to 
recognize the executive director of the Regional Transportation 
Commission of Washoe County, Lee Gibson, who after over 10 years of 
dedicated service, announced his retirement this year.
  Since his appointment to chief director of the RTC in 2009, Mr. 
Gibson has worked tirelessly to improve customer service and promote 
collaboration with the local community. During his tenure at the RTC, 
he has reduced agency operating costs by over 30 percent while 
delivering the largest multimodal construction program in the agency's 
history. His dedication and pragmatism has helped guide the RTC of 
Washoe County through tumultuous economic times as well as the 
exponential growth of the Reno-Sparks area.
  The RTC, under the management of Mr. Gibson, adopted a sustainability 
policy that has led to a multitude of successful projects, including 
earning national recognition for the SouthEast Connector. The RTC has 
also been recognized for achieving LEED certification for two recently 
opened transit centers and obtained recognition for the development of 
Complete Streets and sustainable highway design throughout the Truckee 
Meadows. The region was even designated as a bicycle-friendly community 
by the American League of Bicyclists.
  Mr. Gibson did not just focus on restructuring the transit system 
during his time as the Director of the RTC; his emphasis on customer 
service and time performance led to improved customer satisfaction with 
the transportation services. This is due to the RTC's implementation of 
innovative services, such as the RTC RAPID bus rapid transit project. 
Mr. Gibson also succeeded in delivering a broader community outreach 
program and successfully collaborated with other agencies to plan and 
deliver efficient and effective transportation services.
  Mr. Gibson made sure to give back to his community beyond his 
impressive service in the RTC. He is a founding member of Northern 
Nevada Transportation Collaborative, NNTC, a coalition of business and 
government leaders, academic researchers, transportation professionals, 
and citizens committed to promoting transportation as a key tool for 
economic revitalization, quality of life, and sustainability. In 2012 
he became the chairman of the Nevada Executive Committee for 
Transportation Safety. There, he works with State and local agencies to 
promote safety policies for all modes of transportation. He is also a 
member of the TRB Planning Applications Committee and the APTA Planning 
and Policy Committee.
  Today, I celebrate the many contributions of Lee Gibson to the Reno-
Sparks metropolitan area and Washoe County as well as to the Northern 
Nevada community. We owe Mr. Gibson a debt of gratitude for his service 
and his leadership will be missed.

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