Feb 1, 2021
CLEVELAND — Mark Petit has been named Deputy General Manager of Innovation and Technology for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Petit brings more than 30 years of experience leading technology teams and initiatives as an outsourced Chief Information Officer (CIO) in both the private and public sectors. Petit’s first day was February 1.
Recently, Petit was the CIO for The City of Akron, serving on the Mayor’s cabinet and leading their smart city initiatives. Managing Akron and Summit County’s IT operating budget of more than $9 million, Petit developed multi-year strategies with initiatives that improved staffing, operations, applications, infrastructure, compliance, security and cloud. Petit also led cyber security programs including threat prevention and mitigation, and served on the leadership team for the Summit County Executive’s office.
His efforts throughout local and county governments spanned utilities, data analytics, smart Internet of Things (IoT) controls, public safety, digital infrastructure, business continuity and multiplatform hybrid cloud initiatives.
“I am excited the be a part of the RTA executive team to use my experience to ensure the technology platforms and IT teams are optimized and aligned with the organization's strategic plan,” Petit said. “I look forward to the opportunity to find innovative ways to improve the RTA and its services for the communities that it serves.”
The selection of Petit follows a national search.
"We are pleased to welcome Mark to the RTA leadership team and look forward to his energy and experience in the technology industry to help boost our agency's digital profile as we move forward,” said RTA CEO and General Manager India Birdsong. “Understanding the importance of technology in such a virtual-dependent time only underscores the urgency for this position at RTA, and we are confident that Mark's leadership will be instrumental in leading this initiative."
Petit holds a degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Akron.
Media Contact:
Linda Scardilli Krecic
216-390-9605 (mobile)