Leadership

Board of Directors

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BRAD S. O’HALLORAN
Chairman

Brad S. O’Halloran was appointed to the Commuter Rail Board (Metra) in 2011 by the suburban members of the Cook County Board. Mr. O'Halloran was elected Chairman of Metra in November 2012.

Mr. O’Halloran is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the Village of Orland Park, an office he has held since 1993. This is Mr. O’Halloran’s second time serving on the Metra Board, having previously represented suburban Cook County on the Board in 2003 and 2004.

In addition to his roles in public service, Mr. O’Halloran is currently the Regional Director of Development for the University of Notre Dame, furthering the philanthropic interests and objectives of the university in the Chicago area. He is also president and Executive Director of Transportation Development Corp., Inc., which provides strategic business development and consulting services to the transportation and travel industries. He also currently serves on the boards of the Old Plank Trail Bank in Mokena, Ill., and the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago.

Prior to this, Mr. O’Halloran served as Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Development for Duty Free International and its successor company, World Duty Free, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BAA, plc.   He also has more than 20 years experience in marketing, retailing and business development with firms such as Wireless Information Technologies, LLC, and Colgate-Palmolive Co.

Additionally, he has served as a board member of Airport Council International – North America and the State of Illinois Architectural Licensing Board.

Mr. O’Halloran earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1976 and completed an M.B.A. at Notre Dame in 2009.

John Partelow

JOHN E. PARTELOW
Vice Chairman
Employment Practices Committee Member
Capital Oversight Committee Member

John E. (Jack) Partelow was appointed to the Metra Board in July 2009 by the Will County Executive, and was elected Vice Chairman of Metra in November of 2012.

Mr. Partelow was chairman of the Will County Republican Party from 1998 until 2008. Prior to his selection as chairman, he served from 1996 to 1998 as the party’s secretary.

Mr. Partelow retired in 1994 after a 32-year career at Dunn and Bradstreet, where he rose to the position of senior vice president, national field operations.

Following his retirement, Mr. Partelow volunteered for the American Red Cross, focusing on strategic planning for the organization. He also served from 1995 to 1996 as a member of the Naperville Citizens Advisory Committee, working on the development of the city’s Master Transportation Plan.

Mr. Partelow and his wife Lorena have been married for 50 years and reside in Naperville. They have five children and eight grandchildren.

Norman Carlson
Director

Norman Carlson was appointed to the Commuter Rail Board (Metra) in April 2013 by the Chairman of the Lake County Board.

Mr. Carlson spent 34 years with Arthur Andersen Co. being appointed as the North American Rail Industry Head in 1985 and the Worldwide Managing Partner of the Transportation Practice in 1990. He served in that capacity until exercising the early retirement option in 2000. In 2000 he formed Carlson Consulting International serving as a short-term executive in challenging situations including being the non-executive chairman of the board of RailWorks during its successful bankruptcy reorganization.

Mr. Carlson is active in supporting Catholic Charities with a focus on veterans programs, a member of the Business Advisory Committee to the Transportation Center at Northwestern University, moderator of the monthly railroad discussion group at Northwestern, pro bono advisor to the City of Lake Forest on transportation matters, and managing editor of a publication on the history and current operations of rail passenger service in Chicago.

Mr. Carlson is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a BS of Accountancy degree and is a certified public accountant. He served as a U. S. Army Infantry officer in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service.

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PAUL C. DARLEY
Director
Audit and Finance Committee Chairman
Employment Practices Committee Member

Paul C. Darley was appointed to the Commuter Rail Board (Metra) in 2011 by the Chairman of the DuPage County Board.

Mr. Darley is currently president and CEO of W.S. Darley & Co. Founded in 1908, W.S. Darley & Co. is a fourth generation family-owned business specializing the manufacture of equipment for the fire fighting industry with sales of more than $110 million in 2010.

He began his career with W.S. Darley in 1985 in sales and was appointed president and CEO in 2010. During his career, Mr. Darley has traveled widely and has been a featured speaker at more than 200 industry events.

Mr. Darley is past president of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Associations and has also served on the Board of Directors of the Fire & Emergency Manufacturers & Services Association (FEMSA). He currently serves on the Board of the Great Lakes Chapter of the National Defense Industry Association (NDIA).

Mr. Darley is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and holds a B.S. Degree in Marketing and Finance from Marquette University. He also holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

He is involved in numerous charitable and service organizations and is past chairman of the Windy City Chapter of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization).

Mr. Darley resides with his wife and three daughters in Elmhurst, Ill.

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DON A. DE GRAFF
Director
Executive Committee Chairman
Audit and Finance Committee Member

Don A. De Graff was appointed to the Commuter Rail Board (Metra) in 2011 by the south suburban members of the Cook County Board.

Mr. De Graff has served as president of the Village of South Holland since 1994. In addition, he has more than 40 years of leadership in the banking and commercial lending industry. He currently serves as the President of MB Financial Bank, Southeast Region. Prior to this, he was president of First Savings and Loan of South Holland.

Mr. De Graff holds leadership positions in a number of civic and planning organizations. He currently serves as Chairman of the Chicago Southland SES Metra Commuter Rail Development Board and the MWRD Little Calumet River Watershed Planning Council. He is treasurer of the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission. He is past president of the South Holland Business Association and former chairman of the Chicago Southland Alliance. He is also a member of the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Chicago Southland Chamber and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.

He holds a B.A. in Business Economics from Calvin College and a M.B.A. in Finance from Northwestern University. He has also completed career development course work at the University of Illinois, Champaign and is a licensed representative of the National Association of Securities Dealers.

Mr. De Graff is the recipient of an award of excellence from the South/Southwest Association of Realtors, a community leadership award from Christ Community Church of South Holland and an appreciation award for Christian leadership and support from the South Holland Ministerial Association. During his term as village president, South Holland received the outstanding municipality award from the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce.

Larry Huggins

LARRY A. HUGGINS
Director
Employment Practices Committee Chairman
Executive Committee Member

Larry A. Huggins was appointed to the Metra Board in 1997 by the City of Chicago and served as board treasurer from August 2006 to May 2009 and as vice chairman from May 2009 to November 2012. Mr. Huggins served as Acting Metra Chairman from April 2011 to November 2012.

Mr Huggins is president and chief executive officer of Riteway Construction Services Incorporated. Riteway and Mr. Huggins have received a variety of top industry awards for advocacy for economic opportunities for minorities. He is a founding member of Black Contractors United (1979), serving as the organization’s vice president in 1987, and was named contractor of the year by the group in 1986 and 1997.

In 1981, he received the annual Bronze Hard Hat Award from the Chicago Economic Development Corporation in recognition of the firm’s achievements, performance and growth as a minority-owned construction firm.

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MIKE McCOY
Director
Capital Oversight Committee Chairman
Audit and Finance Committee Member 

Mike McCoy was appointed to the Commuter Rail Board (Metra) in 2011 by the Chairman of the Kane County Board.

Mr. McCoy brings considerable experience in public service to the Metra Board having served as the Chairman of the Kane County Board from 1996 to 2004. He also previously served as Chairman of the Kane County Transportation Committee and the Kane County Board of Public Health. He is a past president of the Metro Counties Association of Illinois and the Illinois Counties Association and has served as Chairman of the Aurora Board of Election Commissioners.

Mr. McCoy is a professional engineer with more than 30 years experience in the field. He is currently a senior project manager at Omega & Associates in Lisle, Ill., where he manages construction engineering for large transportation projects, including the resurfacing of the Eisenhower and Stevenson expressways. 

During his tenure as Chairman of the Kane County Board, Mr. McCoy developed the county’s storm water management ordinance and established a floodplain and wetland protection fund for the county. The plan was recognized with a technical innovation award from the American Public Works Association. He also oversaw the completion of more than $100 million in capital improvements for the county, including an addition to the county jail, new facilities for the county clerk and the circuit clerk and a new transportation maintenance facility.

He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Quad County Urban League as well as numerous awards recognizing his efforts in land preservation and engineering.

Mr. McCoy is a 1974 graduate of West Aurora High School and an honors graduate from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1978.

Arlene Mulder

ARLENE J. MULDER
Secretary
Employment Practices Committee Member
Executive Committee Member

Arlene J. Mulder was appointed to the Metra Board in 2005 by the suburban members of the Cook County Board. She was elected secretary of the board in 2006.

Ms. Mulder is the mayor of Arlington Heights, where she was reelected for a fifth term in April 2009. Prior to her election as mayor, she served for 14 years on the Arlington Heights Park District Board of Commissioners and the Arlington Heights Village Board.

Mayor Mulder is vice president of the Illinois Municipal League and serves on the executive board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. She is also a member and past president of the Northwest Municipal Conference.

Mayor Mulder received a B.A. in Biology and Physical Education from San Francisco State University. She is a 2005 graduate of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Willis E. Pennington Jr.

STANLEY C. RAKESTRAW
Director
Audit and Finance Committee Member
Capital Oversight Committee Member

Stanley C. Rakestraw was appointed to the Commuter Rail Board (Metra) by the President of the Cook County Board and confirmed by the members of the County Board in February 2012.

Mr. Rakestraw is co-founder, vice president and chief operating officer of SCR Medical Transportation. SCR Medical focuses on transportation for the mobility challenged providing paratransit services for clients throughout the Chicago region.

Mr. Rakestraw’s career includes financial auditing for a major Chicago area hospital and a government economic development office. He translated those skills to a career as a nursing home administrator, where his responsibilities ranged from implementing appropriate financial controls to developing training programs to improve the level of patient care while holding costs in line.

Prior to founding SCR, Mr. Rakestraw built upon his experience in health care administration as the principal of a health care consulting firm. In this role, he assisted clients in the development and implementation of management systems, troubleshooting, marketing and the development of policies and procedures for key aspects of client operations.

At SCR, Mr. Rakestraw has applied his background in financial management, auditing and strategic planning, overseeing all fiscal activities including forecasting, contract negotiations and interfacing with regulatory agencies. He is highly involved in exploring new technologies to improve operations and customer service. And, he continually monitors national transportation trends to ensure that SCR is at the forefront of the industry's best practices.

In 2011, Mr. Rakestraw and his wife, SCR co-founder President/CEO Pamela M. Rakestraw, received the Outstanding Business of the Year Award from the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce. SCR also received the Bank of America Small Business Award in 1996 and was named the Taxicab Limousines and Paratransit Association (TPLA) Paratransit Operator of the Year in 2004.


Mr. Rakestraw serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations, including the TLPA, the Catholic Charities Foundation, Urban Partnership Bank and the Gateway Foundation. He is also highly involved in the TLPA Paratransit Steering Committee, helping to decide the future of the paratransit industry.

Mr. Rakestraw studied at Tennessee State University and attended the University of Illinois and Roosevelt University, where he took graduate courses. He has completed additional coursework at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, through the school’s Minority Director Development program.

Jack Schaffer

JACK SCHAFFER
Treasurer
Audit and Finance Committee Member
Executive Committee Member

Jack Schaffer was appointed to the Metra Board, in 2006 representing McHenry County. In May 2009, he was elected board treasurer.

Mr. Schaffer currently owns Liberty Outdoor Advertising and Liberty Self Storage, both located in Crystal Lake, Ill.

From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Schaffer worked as a consultant and lobbyist specializing in insurance industry issues.  Prior to his work as a consultant, Mr. Schaffer served as commissioner of the Illinois Office of Banks and Real Estate.

From 1973 to 1999, Mr. Schaffer served as an Illinois state senator, holding several leadership positions including caucus chairman, minority whip and minority leader.

Before his election to the Senate, Mr. Schaffer worked as an auditor for McHenry County.

Mr. Schaffer is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in Business Management.

William A. Widmer III

WILLIAM A.WIDMER III
Director
Capital Oversight Committee Member
Employment Practices Committee Member

William A. Widmer III was appointed to the Metra Board in 2008 by the suburban members of the Cook County Board.

Mr. Widmer has devoted more than 35 years to private law practice, specializing in labor law and employee benefit funds as a partner in the firm Carmell Charone & Widmer. Mr. Widmer’s clients include the Chicago Federation of Labor, where he has served as counsel since 1998. Other labor union clients include Local 399 Operating Engineers, Teamsters Locals 301 and 734 as well as a number of firefighter union locals.

Mr. Widmer earned an undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and a Juris Doctorate from the Temple University School of Law.

Chairman's Letter:

In November 2012, with the support of my fellow board members and the region’s appointing authorities, I accepted the role as chairman of the Metra Board. 

When I joined the Board in 2011, Metra was engaged in the difficult task of restoring public confidence. Over the past two years, we have worked diligently to re-examine our practices, make reforms where necessary and increase transparency, demonstrating that this agency and the Board which governs it are responsible stewards of public funds. 

The Board, the agency’s management and staff have spent countless hours to – forgive the pun – put this agency on the right track. We have cut costs by identifying efficiencies; we have adopted practices that promote financial stability; and we have provided the public with more information than ever before about our business practices.

One of the most significant changes has been our budgeting process. This year we held two separate rounds of public hearings across the region in November and December to communicate our rationale as well as the potential benefits and risks of decisions to be made regarding Metra’s 2013 budget. We also provided additional opportunities for the public to respond to these proposals through our website. By doing so, we provided the public with a better perspective on the difficult balance we and other public agencies must achieve to continue to provide a high level of service in a financially constrained environment.

The 2013 Program and Budget document adopted by the Metra Board in December is balanced and meets the requirement of the Regional Transportation Authority Act, that the region’s transit operations recover 50 percent of operating expenses through fares and other revenues. While Metra’s 2013 Budget does not include an across-the-board fare increase, the budget does include a change in fare policy discontinuing the practice of discounting the 10-ride ticket. The funds gained from this policy change, an estimated $8.3 million, will be used primarily to help Metra compete for federal funds for capital projects.

And we need those funds. To help you understand what it takes to keep the railroad going on an annual basis, we pulled data on six key areas of the capital program. To keep Metra in a state of good repair, each year we need to replace or rehab 12 locomotives, replace or rehab 70 cars, replace or rehab 5 stations and 20 platforms, replace or rehab 8 bridges, replace 110,000 ties and replace 105 grade crossings. To do all of this – not including any other capital program areas – would cost about $235 million per year. Our 2013 capital program is only $155 million, leaving an $80 million shortfall in those
areas alone.

One thing we did in 2012 was to undertake Metra’s first strategic plan in decades. At a time when resources are so scarce, we need such a plan that will give us focus and direction as we seek to use our limited dollars in a logical, efficient, effective and equitable manner, and in a way that complies with our mission, vision and goals. This document, which will be introduced in early 2013, will guide our decision-making for years to come.

We at Metra believe that we have a responsibility to our riders and the region as a whole to provide exceptional service and leverage every available resource to preserve that service by maintaining our infrastructure. We plan to pursue every funding source available for that purpose so that Metra remains a vital part of this region’s transportation infrastructure, providing value to our riders and the communities we serve.

We invite you to review this 2013 Program and Budget document to learn more about our plans.

Sincerely,
Brad S. O’Halloran
Chairman, Metra Board of Directors