Dr. Maxine Wortham Named Chair of the GPMTD Board of Trustees

Members of the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District (GPMTD) Board of Trustees selected Dr. Maxine Wortham as the new Board Chair at the May 3, 2021 Board Meeting. This will be Dr. Wortham’s second term as Board Chair. She first served as Board Chair from May 2016 until May 2018. She most recently served as Treasurer for two terms, and she has also served on the Finance Committee and as Chair of the Program Development Committee.

Dr. Maxine Wortham

Dr. Wortham succeeds Art Bell, who most recently served two consecutive terms as Board Chair. Bell represents the City of Peoria and he is retiring from the board as his term is set to expire in May. Bell was appointed by City of Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis on July 11, 2005, and he has served on the GPMTD Board of Trustees for 16 years.

Dr. Wortham has been an active member of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA, previously serving on the Legislative Committee and Board of Directors.

Dr. Wortham was named to the GPMTD Board on February 7, 2006 by City of Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis. Wortham had a 35-year career with Peoria School District 150, retiring in 2002. She then worked from 2003 to 2013 as the Director of Education for PCCEO/Peoria Head Start. She has also been a volunteer of the Tri-County Urban League for more than 50 years, serving two terms as Board Chair of the local affiliate and two terms on the National Board of Trustees. She also serves as an ordained elder of the Ward Chapel AME Church in Peoria.

GPMTD also made the following appointment of officers:

• Chris Ahart, Vice Chair (Representing Peoria Heights; Appointed February 2, 2021)
• Jennifer Lee, Treasurer (Representing Peoria; Appointed February 14, 2017)
• Sharon McBride, Secretary (Representing West Peoria; Appointed May 5, 1997)

With the departure of Art Bell from the Board of Trustees, GPMTD expects a new Trustee to be appointed by the new City of Mayor of Peoria, Dr. Rita Ali, in the coming weeks.

The GPMTD provides over 2.5 million passenger trips on fixed route CityLink service, and it also offers demand response service operated as CityLift and rural transportation services operated as CountyLink.