Councilman Luis Viera Re-elected HART Chair by Board of Directors

Councilman Luis Viera

At its January 8 meeting, the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) Board re-elected Councilman Luis Viera as Chair, Commissioner Michael Owen as Vice-Chair and Director Melanie Williams as Secretary of the HART Board of Directors for 2024.

Councilman Viera remains the HART Chair at a pivotal time for the organization. Chair Viera will serve a 1-year term.

Councilman Viera has been a Board member since February 2020 and has served on the Tampa City Council since 2016.

Councilman Viera is very active in the community. He is the former Chairman of the Hillsborough County Bar Association Diversity Committee and a former Chairman of the City of Tampa Civil Service Board. He is a founder and former President of Lawyers Autism Awareness Foundation and previously served on the Board of Tampa Bay Best Buddies, an organization that assists and advocates for persons with special needs and developmental disabilities. He was also the Incoming President of the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association and is a member of the George Edgecomb Bar Association. 

 

The HART Board is responsible for setting policy and making decisions for the Authority on matters ranging from system operations, service planning, fare structure, finance, and customer service. It is made up of 14 volunteers who are appointed to represent Hillsborough County (seven seats), City of Tampa (four seats), State of Florida (two seats) and City of Temple Terrace (one seat). Officers of the HART Board (chair, vice-chair and secretary) are elected annually.

For more information about HART service, visit www.goHART.org.

HART Board Elects New Leadership for 2023

Councilman Viera

At its January 9 meeting, the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) Board elected Councilman Luis Viera as Chair, Commissioner Michael Owen as Vice-Chair and Director Melanie Williams as Secretary of the HART Board of Directors for 2023.

Councilman Viera takes over as HART Chair from Commissioner Patricia Kemp, who served in the role for the past year. Chair Viera will serve a 1-year term.

Councilman Viera has been a HART Board member since 2020 and has served on the Tampa City Council since 2016.

The HART Board is responsible for setting policy and making decisions for the Authority on matters ranging from system operations, service planning, fare structure, finance, and customer service, and is made up of 14 volunteers who are appointed to represent Hillsborough County (seven seats), City of Tampa (four seats), State of Florida (two seats) and City of Temple Terrace (one seat). Officers of the HART Board (chair, vice-chair and secretary) are elected every year.

HART Board Elects New Leadership for 2022

HART Chair Pat Kemp

At its January 10 meeting, the HART Board elected Commissioner Patricia "Pat" Kemp as Chair, Commissioner Kimberly Overman as Vice-Chair and Director Melanie Williams as Secretary of the HART Board of Directors for 2022.

Commissioner Kemp takes over as HART Chair from Commissioner Mariella Smith, who served in the role for the last two years. Chair Kemp will serve a 1-year term.

"It is a great privilege to be elected as HART Board Chair and continue working alongside the dedicated Board members to serve our customers, employees and the community, said Chair Commissioner Kemp. "I look forward to working together to operate a safe, reliable, efficient and fiscally sound transit system that contributes to the economic success and quality of life of this region and Hillsborough County." 

Commissioner Kemp has been a Board member since November 2016 and served as Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioner in 2021.

Commissioner Kemp has more than three decades of public service in Hillsborough County. As an attorney, she worked both in private practice and for Bay Area Legal Services, providing civil legal services for low-income clients.

Commissioner Kemp has long been an advocate for improving transportation in the county and the region.

Commissioner Kemp also serves on the following County and Regional Boards and Councils:

• Election Canvassing Board
• Environmental Protection Commission (Vice-Chair)
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Southwest Florida Water Management District Liaison
• Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA)
• Transportation Planning Organization (TPO)
• Vale Adjustment Board

In other business, the HART Board appointed HART CEO Adelee Le Grand to serve as the organization's representative on the Hillsborough TPO Board.

The HART Board is responsible for setting policy and making decisions for the Authority on matters ranging from system operations, service planning, fare structure, finance, customer service, and is made up of 14 volunteers who are appointed to represent Hillsborough County (seven seats), City of Tampa (four seats), State of Florida (two seats) and City of Temple Terrace (one seat). Officers of the HART Board (chair, vice-chair and secretary) are elected every year.

 

Carolyn House Stewart Honored with "Women on the Move" Recognition

HART's very own Staff Attorney, Carolyn House Stewart, ESQ was recently honored as ONYX Magazine's "Women on the Move" . Stewart is among 22 of Florida’s most impactful and influential women of color who have demonstrated their commitment to excellence, responsible leadership, and service. The recognition highlights women who have shattered the glass ceiling in their professions and persevered against all the odds, according to the magazine’s leaders.

Ms. Stewart has almost 40 years of legal experience and became the first African-American partner at Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen, one of Florida's oldest law firms.

Ms. Stewart also served as the 28th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc. During that time, she was responsible for guiding policy, developing programs, and setting the leadership tone for 250,000 AKA members in 975 chapters worldwide.

HART is no stranger to ONYX Magazine's "Women on the Move," as HART Vice Chair Melanie Williams is also being recognized this year.

Carla Williams, HART Manager of Community Engagement, was recognized for the award in 2018.