Mpact Announces Leadership Transition and Taps Grace Crunican to Be Interim CEO

MINNEAPOLIS, December 21, 2023 (Newswire.com) - The Mpact Board of Directors appointed long-time Mpact Board Member and transit industry leader Grace Crunican to serve as interim CEO, starting January 1, 2024. Crunican takes over the CEO role from Tamar Shapiro, who is departing the organization to pursue a career as a full-time writer. For more than 30 years, Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution) has shaped and advanced the movement for transit-oriented communities. 

“I have loved working together with this incredibly dedicated network to make sure Mpact is positioned to thrive. Mpact is truly a special organization,” Tamar Shapiro said. 

“We are grateful for Tamar’s leadership and her contributions to position Mpact for a bright future. I am thrilled that Grace, a leader in our industry, will be interim CEO in this next period. We are in great hands as we seek a transformational leader to guide the next era of Mpact,” said Diana Mendes, Mpact Board President. Mendes is Corporate President for Infrastructure and Mobility Equity at HNTB.

Crunican, Principal of Crunican, LLC, has held key leadership posts in the transportation industry for over 40 years. These include General Manager of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) for eight years, Director of Seattle Department of Transportation for eight years, and Director of the Oregon Department of Transportation for five years. She also has served as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, Director of the Surface Transportation Policy Project and Deputy Director of the City of Portland’s Department of Transportation. Crunican also served as interim CEO at Mpact (then called Rail~Volution) three years ago, during a similar leadership transition.

“Working collaboratively, across sectors and with the community, is the way to tackle the challenges we face and forge solutions. Mpact, formerly Rail~Volution, has always been the place to have those conversations. I’ve been involved with this organization from the beginning and am dedicated to keeping momentum for its mission,” said Crunican. 

The board of directors has engaged national executive search firm Harris Rand Lusk (HRL) to lead a national search to fill the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position. See the position description here.

# # # 

About Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility

Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution) is a national nonprofit organization that for nearly 30 years has shaped and advanced the movement for transit-oriented communities. Find out more at www.mpactmobility.org and on social media @mpactmobility. 

Source: Mpact