Three new members have joined the Board of Directors for the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) following their swearing-in at a board meeting on February 27 in Austin, Texas.
Jose “Chito” Vela has been appointed by the Austin City Council to serve on the CapMetro Board. Vela represents District 4 and holds bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the City Council in 2022, he worked as an immigration and criminal defense attorney at Walker Gates Vela and served as President of the Board of the Worker’s Defense Project. He has lived in East Austin for two decades with his family.
Paige Ellis joins as an appointee from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO). She is currently Mayor Pro Tem for Austin City Council, representing District 8 since her election in 2018. Ellis earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and previously worked for an environmental firm focused on compliance related to housing development and transportation projects. She led efforts to pass a $460 million Active Mobility Bond and has advocated for mobility and affordability initiatives.
Dianne Bangle is CAMPO’s Business-Executive appointee to CapMetro’s board. Bangle serves as CEO of the Real Estate Council of Austin, overseeing a nonprofit organization that includes over 1,900 commercial real estate leaders in Central Texas. She is licensed to practice law in Texas and Colorado, received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. Bangle also participates on boards such as Transit Forward, Visit Austin, and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Chair Jeff Travillion commented on their appointments: “Chito Vela, Paige Ellis and Dianne Bangle are all great additions to the Board and are all passionate about public service and giving back to their community,” said Travillion. “I look forward to working with each of them as we continue to expand CapMetro throughout our region.”
The new members replace Ann Kitchen, Sabino “Pio” Renteria, and Wade Cooper. Kitchen and Renteria stepped down in January; Cooper attended his last meeting on February 27.
CapMetro provides public transportation services across Austin and Central Texas through a board-governed structure with committees dedicated to finance, audit, administration, operations, planning, and safety according to its official website. The agency supports more than 31 million boardings annually while focusing on accessibility, inclusivity, safety, equity, innovation, transparency, customer satisfaction, regional connectivity—and aims to empower communities through responsible provision of high-quality transit options (source).
