Ernie Ewin, La Mesa Councilman, elected vice chairman
San Diego, CA-The Metropolitan Transit System has welcomed three new board members and elected a new vice-chairman this year. Mary England of Lemon Grove, John Minto of the Santee City Council and Steve Castaneda of Chula Vista are new members to the 15-member board. Ernie Ewin, an MTS Board Member since 2005 and the chairman of the MTS Audit Committee since 2007 was elected vice-chairman of the board. The new board members all serve on their respective city councils.
“These new board members join us at a time when MTS has many important projects and critical decisions to advance public transportation in our region,” said MTS Chairman Harry Mathis. “We welcome the new expertise and ideas that these members bring to MTS.”
Re-elected to the La Mesa City Council in November 2002, Ernie Ewin first served as a councilman from 1985 through 1990. A La Mesa resident since 1981, his
experience with public transit in San Diego is vast; he was a founding member of the San Diego Trolley Board of Directors. Ewin has over 30 years of professional experience in the banking/financial services industry.
In November, Mary England was re-elected to her third term with Lemon Grove. She has worked to bring business to the city and restore the downtown area. She has been recognized for her work in building the Lemon Grove Chamber of Commerce to one that is self-sufficient and a representative of local business in the area.
Like England, John Minto was just re-elected to his third term. At Santee, he is focused on balancing the budget and public safety. He served as a police officer since 1980 and retired in 2009. In the November election, he supported Proposition 22, a proposition that is intended to restore state funding to transit.
Steve Castaneda a Chula Vista councilman since 2005, has focused his time in office on public safety, energy, environmental and water issues. He established and chairs the Public Safety Subcommittee of the Chula Vista City Council.
The Metropolitan Transit System's Board of Directors is comprised of 15 members that represent San Diego County. Four of the members are selected by the San Diego City Council, nine are appointed from municipal city councils – one from each of Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Poway and Santee. One is appointed from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The Chairman is a resident of San Diego, selected by the board members.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System transports millions of San Diegans every year with more than 80 bus routes and 53 miles of rail. For further information on fares, routes, and schedules, or to plan a trip, visit www.sdmts.com or call 511.
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