Amante Selected As New OCTA Board Chairman

Tustin mayor will lead the agency and Bates chosen as vice chair
ORANGE – OCTA Vice Chairman Jerry Amante was unanimously selected this morning as the new chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) board of directors.
Amante replaces outgoing Chairman Peter Buffa, who continues to serve on the board as one of two public members. Stepping into Amante’s role as vice chairman is County Supervisor Pat Bates, who represents the Fifth District.
“I’m honored that my colleagues have selected me to lead this agency and I look forward to a challenging and successful year in keeping our residents moving,” Amante said. “Achieving our goals will require overcoming unprecedented economic obstacles as we seek innovative ways to ensuring Orange County remains an ideal place to live, work and visit.”
Amante joined the OCTA board in December 2006 and has contributed significantly as a member of several key OCTA committees: Finance and Administration Committee, Highways Committee, Transportation 2020 Committee, Executive Committee and State Route 91 Advisory Committee.
Amante, an attorney and licensed real estate broker, and his wife Nancy have lived in Tustin for 22 years. They have two adult children.
Replacing Amante as vice chair is Pat Bates, who joined the board in 2007. In addition to serving on the OCTA board of directors and the board of supervisors, Bates sits on the board of the both the Foothill/Eastern and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agencies.
Also at today’s meeting, Huntington Beach Councilman Don Hansen was seated on the OCTA board, replacing outgoing member Cathy Green of Huntington Beach.
For more information regarding Amante, view his bio at www.octa.net/jerry_amante.