May 17, 2023
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) welcomed Calley Mersmann and Jeffrey Sleasman as new members to their Board of Trustees during yesterday’s Board meeting inside GCRTA’s Main Office Building at 1240 W. 6th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 441113.
Trustees Mersmann and Sleasman were sworn into service by Janet Burney, GCRTA Deputy General Manager Legal Affairs on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in preparation for their first official call to service on May 16, 2023. Their appointments were made by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, and both will serve three-year terms ending in 2026.
“GCRTA welcomes the appointments of Calley Mersmann and Jeffrey Sleasman to our Board of Trustees. We believe their professional expertise and experience as transit riders, will be beneficial as we bolster GCRTA’s impact on the social economics of our community,” said GCRTA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer India L. Birdsong Terry.
About the Board Appointees:
Calley Mersmann is the Senior Strategist of Transit and Mobility at the City of Cleveland. As the first person to hold this role at the City, her responsibilities include developing transit-supportive policies, practices, and projects at the City; cultivating a strong interagency partnership with GCRTA; and directing the City’s transit and mobility work toward achieving equitable, accessible, safe, and sustainable movement for all Clevelanders. Mersmann previously served for four years with the City Planning Commission as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator.
Mersmann holds an MPA with concentrations in Local Government and Sustainable Development from Indiana University. She is a regular GCRTA rider and bicycle commuter.
Jeffrey Weston Sleasman is the Senior Director at The Fund For Our Economic Future, and Founder of Boussole, LLC, a consumer goods startup focused on biomedical technologies. He is an active member of Clevelanders for Public Transit, a rider’s organization that supports and promotes affordable, accessible, reliable, environmental, and financially sustainable public transportation in Northeast Ohio. Sleasman is particularly engaged by the potential for land use and mobility decisions, including provision of reliable, affordable, and convenient public transportation, to advance equitable economic advancement.
He holds an MBA with a focus on Strategy and Entrepreneurship from The Ohio State University and has been a dedicated transit rider for over 30 years.