Laketran trustee recognized as national disabilities advocate

Willoughby resident and Laketran Trustee Donna P. McNamee was honored earlier this year by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials as one of the recipients of the 2018 Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation Award in recognition of her professional achievements and exemplary leadership in the transportation industry.

“McNamee was recognized for her continuous advocacy for public transportation, specifically to improve access for people with disabilities and upholding the vision of the ADA,” said A. Bradley Mims, president and CEO of COMTO. “It’s an honor to recognize someone from Laketran, as COMTO has a history with the Ohio agency.”

According to a Laketran news release, McNamee has devoted her life to improving public policies that impact the lives of people with disabilities and older adults.

For more than 25 years, she has worked on public policies encompassing the Americans with Disabilities Act, health care, employment and transportation on behalf of people with disabilities at the local, state and national level. She is nationally recognized for her advocacy work in giving a voice to those who need a voice in government.

McNamee has played a critical role in the nationwide effort to pass the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. This reform enables millions of people with disabilities nationwide the opportunity to be gainfully employed without losing their critical health care coverage under Medicare and Medicaid.

McNamee also has participated in many statewide initiatives, including the Ohio Department of Transportation’s 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force. McNamee has provided leadership to the Executive Committee of the American Public Transportation Association, where she served as the founding chairwoman of its ADA Committee.

She also has served as chairwoman of Easter Seals Project ACTION National Steering Committee and led the development of a book, “ADA Essentials for Transit Board Members,” now being used by numerous transit systems and state departments of transportation nationwide.

“It is truly an honor to not only receive this award beside my transit peers who have advanced public transportation, but also to be in a position to significantly contribute to greater access and to an improved understanding of the need for accessible public transit across the country,” McNamee said. “While the ADA has certainly improved access, there is still a lot more work to do both locally and nationally to ensure people with disabilities can get to work, school, medical facilities, shopping or even to visit a friend.”

Ben Capelle, general manager of Laketran, said McNamee is most deserving of the honor.

“Her passion and dedication to transportation access has translated to a lot of opportunity in the lives our riders, as well as the industry.”

Laketran, Painesville and COMTO share a long history supporting advocates for public transportation, the release stated. Mims’ predecessor, Julie A. Cunningham, was a former Painesville resident who served on the Laketran Board of Trustees from 1998 through 2001, previous to her appointment as president and CEO of COMTO, which is based in Washington, D.C.

In 2014, Laketran dedicated the Painesville Transfer Center to her memory and lifelong crusade as a transportation and minority advocate. Current director of operations at COMTO, JaLissa D. Coffee, is also from Painesville, where she rode Laketran, and now advocates for minorities in public transportation at the national level.

Founded in 1971, COMTO is the nation’s premier multimodal transportation advocacy organization, promoting women, minority professionals and businesses in transportation. Its mission is to ensure opportunities and maximum participation in the industry for minority individuals, businesses and communities of color through advocacy, training and professional development.

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