The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission has selected Paula Melester to be the next Director of Transportation. Paula has been at the PDC for two-and-a-half years working with the transportation and transit team first as a Regional Planner and most recently as a Senior Planner. In her previous role, Paula served as the coordinator of the Rideshare Commuter Assistance program, worked with the BRITE Transit System, and managed the Afton Express Commuter Bus Service.
The Director of Transportation serves as the administrator for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham and Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Metropolitan Planning Organizations, coordinates rural transportation planning efforts, manages the CSPDC’s On-Call Consultant Program, and oversees the BRITE Bus Transit System. Paula will take over leadership of these programs from Ann Cundy, who was recently selected as the CSPDC’s Executive Director. “Ann has set the bar high for leading this team and managing these programs, so I have big shoes to fill. But I am inheriting an excellent team of planners and will strive to continue to deliver the same level of service our partners have come to expect from our transportation team” Paula says.
Paula holds a Bachelor’s Degree (B.S.) in Organizational Communication and Human Resource Management, and a Master’s Degree (M.P.A) in Public Administration, both from James Madison University. Paula is excited to continue her work with our regional, state, and federal transit and transportation partners, and she looks forward to forging new relationships with our member jurisdictions to promote safe, equitable, and accessible transportation solutions throughout the region.