Cook County Board President Announces Replacement Choice for Metra Board

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Cook County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle, announced retired Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) manager, Romayne Brown, as her choice to replace Stanley Rakestraw on the Metra Board of Directors.

Preckwinkle’s nomination follows Rakestraw’s departure as the fifth Board member to resign from the commuter rail agency this year, after questions arose regarding his residency.

“Romayne Brown’s job was to make sure the trains ran safely and on time,” President Preckwinkle said via press release. “Her decades of transportation experience will be a great asset to the Metra Board, which needs someone who knows what it takes to operate a mass transit rail line. I hope the infusion of new members will allow the board to return to its core mission and improve transit service for commuters throughout the region.”

A retired transit manager with more than 30 years of operations and customer service experience, Brown started her career at the CTA as a conductor and rose through the ranks, eventually earning the position of Vice President of Rail Operations.

“There are few opportunities that could lure me out of retirement,” Brown said. “Taking on this new challenge appealed to me. I want to help Metra, one of the largest commuter rail systems in the country, return to its primary focus of providing more than 300,000 passenger trips a day to commuters.”

As VP of operations, Brown’s primary responsibility was developing and administering policies, programs and procedures to ensure the timeliness and safety of rail transit service to more than 500,000 customers daily.

During her tenure at CTA, Brown also served as superintendent of rail personnel and as general manager of rail operations, where she oversaw the operational, maintenance, administrative and customer service functions for CTA’s Red, Purple and Yellow Lines.

A native of Chicago’s South Side who has lived in Dolton for more than 20 years, Brown retired from the CTA in 2010.

Brown’s appointment will be introduced at the Cook County Board of Commissioners meeting today. Preckwinkle is expected to hold a special board meeting to consider Brown’s nomination, so that if approved, she can be in place by the Oct. 18 Metra board meeting.

If appointed, Brown’s term will last until March 31, 2016.

Rakestraw, Cook County’s former Metra Board representative became ineligible to serve on the Metra Board as a Chicago resident after moving from Flossmoor into a Chicago condo after a fire destroyed his suburban home.

In his resignation letter to Preckwinkle, Rakestraw explained his point of view regarding his residency saying, “I understand that issues have arisen regarding my Metra Directorship as it relates to my residency. My long-time permanent residence in Flossmoor was destroyed by (fire). It was always my intent to rebuild and return to Flossmoor. However, because of declining property values, rebuilding my home became economically unrealistic. However, I still own the land.”

Preckwinkle explained that Rakestraw was allowed on the Metra Board stating, "When Stan Rakestraw applied for the position, he listed a Flossmoor address. Since he no longer resides in suburban Cook County, he is ineligible to serve as my appointment on Metra. As soon as I was notified of this fact I requested Stan Rakestraw's resignation."

Several Metra board members resigned prior to Rakestraw amid controversy over former Metra CEO Alex Clifford's $718,000 severance package. Clifford resigned June 21, citing pressure to make political appointments.

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