Welcome to Rolling Rural: A Podcast from the Illinois Rural Transit Assistance Center. We are part of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. This podcast is made possible with funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation. We tell the stories of the people behind rural transit, featuring interviews with leaders and frontline professionals working to connect communities across rural Illinois. Our guest today, Kim Zimmerman, is the Transit Director of North Central Area Transit (NCAT). NCAT provides door-to-door, origin to destination public bus transportation for residents and guests of LaSalle County. With more than 10 years of service in local transit between NCAT and serving as the Human Service Transportation Coordinator for Regions 1 and 3 and multiple certifications from the National Transit Institute, Kim brings a wealth of local transit experience and knowledge to this conversation.

Welcome to Rolling Rural: A Podcast from the Illinois Rural Transit Assistance Center. We are part of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. This podcast is made possible with funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation. We tell the stories of the people behind rural transit, featuring interviews with leaders and frontline professionals working to connect communities across rural Illinois. Our guest today, Ron Gorst, serves as the Operations Director of Shawnee Mass Transit District. Ron has been with Shawnee Mass Transit District since 2019, starting in the role of Public Relations Coordinator. Ron also serves on the Advisory Council of the Rural Transit Assistance Center. The statewide paratransit bus roadeo is a labor of love for Ron, who is deeply involved in its implementation.

Welcome to Rolling Rural: A Podcast from the Illinois Rural Transit Assistance Center. We are part of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. This podcast is made possible with funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation. We tell the stories of thepeople behind rural transit, featuring interviews with leaders and frontline professionals working to connect communities across rural Illinois.Our guest today, Laura Calderon, is the Executive Director of the Illinois Public Transportation Association, where she has led the organization since 2009. A seasoned nonprofit association executive with 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, she brings expertise inadvocacy at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as association finance and membership management. Calderon previously served as a Program Manager at the Illinois Department of Transportation and as a transportation research and appropriations analyst for the Illinois House of Representatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois, has completed graduate-level coursework in the field, and is a 2016 graduate of the Edgar Fellows Program.