The Niagara Transit Commission has approved the hiring of the organization’s first General Manager. Carla Stout will become the General Manager effective August 29.

The Transit Commission says Stout is a management professional with a 20-year history of working in progressively senior roles within the transit industry.

She most recently served as the General Manager of Niagara Falls Transit where she was responsible for the delivery of transit services to the City of Niagara Falls. Prior to that, she was the Manager of Operations for Niagara Falls Transit and the Manager of Transit Services and Administrative Supervisor for the Town of Fort Erie.

The Niagara Transit Commission will assume operational responsibility for transit services on Jan. 1, 2023 and will be responsible for Niagara’s specialized, conventional and on-demand transit services.

Niagara Region and local transit staff say they are continuing to operate the existing local and Regional transit systems and are collaborating on the plan for the transition of services through 2022.

“I am honoured to accept the appointment as the first General Manager of the Niagara Transit Commission. I look forward to working with the Board, transition staff and the exceptional transit teams across our region. As we move into this transformative time, making one transit in Niagara, my focus will continue to be on providing excellent service for our riders,” said Stout in a statement.