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CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Transit Authority announced Wednesday that chief of staff Nora Leerhsen will take over as acting president of the transit agency when current President Dorval Carter Jr. retires at the end of the month.
"I look forward to serving our riders and employees in this new role. This is a critical time for our agency and for the future of public transit," Leerhsen said in a news release. "As acting president, I will build on our accomplishments as an agency and am confident that we are up to the task of carrying CTA successfully through this transition."
Leerhsen takes over the role on Sunday, Feb. 1, the day after Carter's retirement.
The CTA noted that Leerhsen is the first woman to lead the agency in its 77-year history.
She has been with the CTA since 2014, and served in her first four years several capacities—including senior advisor to the chief of staff and chief operating officer and deputy chief of staff. She also worked in the CTA safety and law departments on agencywide audits, ethics matters, and safety compliance, the CTA said.
Leerhsen became chief of staff of the CTA in 2018. In that role, she has overseen all operations—including service delivery, capital planning, employee programming, and communications strategy. She also served as the primary liaison to the Mayor's office, CTA Board, Chicago city departments and agencies, and RTA and service boards.
Leerhsen holds a law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison., a master's degree in social science from the University of Chicago, another master's degree in education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, and a bachelor's degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Carter announced Monday that he will be retiring at the end of the month after 40 years of service in public transportation. He is leaving the CTA to become the head of St. Anthony Hospital in North Lawndale.
Carter has been on the job nearly 10 years, but over the last year, pressure has been ratcheted up to remove him amid questions of safety, cleanliness, and timeliness of buses and trains. He faced criticism, and calls for his resignation made headlines last year.
