The Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) – which is state’s transit advocacy organization – has named Bryce Shields, who serves as the innovations and performance lead at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), as its newest board member. He was elected during the MPTA Annual Meeting =on the second day of the 2026 Missouri Transit Conference, held Sept. 2-3 in Columbia. He will serve a two-year team.
Shields has seven years of transport industry experience. In his current role with the KCATA, he is responsible for engaging with local and regional transit stakeholders and managing partnerships, including service contracts with municipalities across the KC metropolitan area, which spans seven counties in two states. He also manages the Functionally Free Program and nonprofit bulk fare pass sales program, assists the marketing and communications department with regional outreach efforts and is leading the development and management of new pass programming in the Kansas City region.
During the meeting, current MPTA board member Chuck Ferguson, who serves as the chief operating officer and interim president and CEO of the KCATA and has 30 years of industry experience, was appointed to the role of vice president. He will serve a one-year term.
“We are excited to welcome Bryce to the board and congratulate Chuck on his appointment as vice president,” said Kim Cella, executive director of the MPTA. “Their experience, leadership and dedication to public transit will help advance MPTA’s mission of supporting transit providers and the communities they serve across Missouri.”
For more information, visit www.MoPublicTransit.org.
About MPTA
The Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) is a statewide transit advocacy organization established in 1980 to provide a unified voice for the state’s 28 public and specialized transportation providers. The association works to raise awareness about the importance of personal mobility, underscore the economic impact of public transit on Missouri’s bottom-line, build ridership, address challenges and position transit as an investment priority. To learn more, visit www.MOPublicTransit.org or follow the association on Facebook, X, Instagram or LinkedIn.
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For more information, contact:
Kelly Harris
(314) 436-9090
kelly@hausergrouppr.com