Shawna Black, 2026 TCAT Board Chair, examines the mechanical intricacies of a bus’s underbelly along with TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones (Ctr) and TCAT Mechanic T.J. Myers during a recent visit to the garage and facility.

Shawna Black, Tompkins County’s top elected official and long-time public transportation champion, today presided over her first meeting of the year as 2026 chairperson of the TCAT Board of Directors.

Black, who was also elected as 2026 chairperson of Tompkins County Legislature, has served on the TCAT Board since fall of 2023, at the recommendation of the county. She was in rotation to succeed Laura Lewis, former Ithaca mayor, who served as 2025 board chair.

Black noted that TCAT has come a long way in its post-pandemic recovery in rebuilding ridership, which in 2025 stood at 2.9 million annual rides or about 80 percent of what it was in 2019.

Last year’s ridership represents a slight increase over last year’s 2.85 million rides. But adding to TCAT’s optimism for continued growth were double-digit ridership bumps in November and December, plus an obvious demand for more service as evidenced by full buses at peak times. TCAT’s emphasis on acquiring more buses and bolstering staff to meet that demand is gradually paying off, said Black and, “I am honored to be part of that.”

Thanks to a heavy recruitment push plus the addition of 11 new buses in 2025 – and with two more yet to arrive later this winter- TCAT continues on the path toward recovery, she said. “I am excited about the future of TCAT; for the first time in many years, we have the operators, mechanics, administrative staff and an ever-improving fleet of buses that we need to grow ridership,” Black said. “Our amazing staff along with leadership are paving the way for a successful 2026.”

About the board

The board serves as TCAT’s governing body and is comprised of directors recommended by its local underwriters, Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and Cornell University with each entitled to recommend three people to serve on the board. Nominees are then considered for election by the TCAT board, which rotates its officers every year.

Lewis, who has served on the board at the recommendation of the City of Ithaca since 2018, received a unanimous vote today by her fellow directors to remain on the board. In an unusual twist, however, it was Tompkins County, instead of the city, who selected the former mayor as its nominee. Lewis will fill out the remaining year left by former County Legislator Susan Currie, who retired in December.

Returning to the board and previously recommended by Tompkins County is:

Deborah Dawson, who has served on the TCAT board from 2019 through 2021 and again since 2023. Dawson, who served as chair in 2023, was recommended by the county for another three-year term. She is also serving this year as vice-chair of the Tompkins County Legislature.

The City of Ithaca is expected to soon make a recommendation to fill a third seat that was held by Lewis, but the other two previously nominated by the city and who are returning are:

Ducson Nguyen, who has served on the TCAT Board since 2016. Nguyen is City of Ithaca Common Council, 2nd Ward Alderperson, and a software engineer. He has one year remaining on his term.
Nick Klein, who has served on board starting in 2025. Klein is a Fall Creek resident and a city and regional planning professor at Cornell. Klein, who has two years remaining on his term, will serve as the board’s secretary-treasurer this year.

Previously recommended by Cornell and returning to the board this year are:

Shan Varma, who joined the board in January of 2024. Varma is the university’s human resources director for Campus and Student Life. This year, Varma will serve as the TCAT Board’s vice-chairman, which puts him in rotation to become chair in 2027.
Chris Bomysoad joined the board in April of 2025, will be returning with one more year left to his term. Bomysoad is Cornell’s director of Finance, Administration & Enterprise Performance.

L. Rebecca Hann

Cornell this year nominated a newcomer, L. Rebecca Hann, who the TCAT board unanimously elected in December. The university recently appointed Hann as its vice president for budget and planning after she served the position on an interim basis since June of 2025. Hann previously was associate dean for administration and finance for Cornell’s ILR School.

Hann said her board goals for the year include “gaining a greater understanding of TCAT operations; enhancing transparency of TCAT to our community and riders; and developing a strategy to put TCAT on a sustainable path.”

Committee assignments

As new board chair, Black also assigns board members to committees that touch on high-level aspects of TCAT’s operations. Committees typically meet monthly to consider staff updates and go over proposals before making recommendations to the full board.

As new board chair, Black leads the board’s executive committee, which this year includes other officers: Lewis (immediate past chair); Varma; Klein; and TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones. Other committees and members for the year are as follows:

Audit: Black (chair); Varma; Klein; Lewis; and the city’s yet-to-be-named representative
Budget: Dawson (chair); Nguyen; Bomysoad; and Hann
Human Resources: Lewis (chair); Klein; Varma; and the city’s yet-to-be-named representative
Transit Service: Nguyen (chair); Bomysoad; Klein; and Lewis. Non-board members are Tom Knipe, executive director of the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC); and former long-term TCAT Board Members, Jennifer Dotson and Frank P. Proto.
Planning: Ad hoc

Public feedback welcome

Black said that the board continues to heartily welcomes feedback from riders and any interested member of the public to attend the board’s regularly scheduled meetings, which are held both virtually and in person at TCAT’s Willow Ave. facility. This year, the meeting time has been shifted from the fourth Thursday evening of every month to the fourth Wednesday in the afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to accommodate directors’ and staff’s schedules. The board will continue to combine their November and December meeting into one year-end meeting the first week in December. For more information, please see TCAT’s Board and Committees’ page.

A fond farewell to former board members

Citing their dedication and expertise, the board in December voted on a Resolution of Appreciation for both Currie, and Denise Thompson, who also left the board in December. Thompson, Cornell’s assistant director for Off-Campus Living, served on the TCAT board since 2018 at Cornell’s recommendation.

The post Shawna Black leads TCAT Board in 2026 appeared first on TCAT.

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