OCTA's Shawn Nelson becomes chair, Perris Mayor Daryl Busch selected as vice chair, Moorpark Mayor Pro Tem Keith Millhouse as second vice chair

LOS ANGELES - The Southern California Regional Rail Authority Board of Directors, the governing body of Metrolink, unanimously elected Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) representative Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson as its chair today at its regular monthly meeting.

Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) member and Perris Mayor Daryl Busch was elected first vice chair, while Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) member and Moorpark Mayor Pro Tem Keith Millhouse was elected to be second vice chair.

The elections result in one-year terms, but the officers may serve a two-year term if re-elected.

"Metrolink plays a critical role in moving people throughout Southern California and I look forward to working with my colleagues to enhance the experience for existing passengers and to encourage new riders who are searching for relief from traffic," said Nelson. "We are at the point where financial and geographic constraints will prevent us from continuing to widen our freeways in Orange County. Metrolink provides a key component for those traveling to the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, and Ventura. It's an honor to be selected as chairman and I'm excited for the agency's future."

Nelson, currently serving as chair to the OCTA Board of Directors, was first elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in June 2010 and was recently re-elected for another four-year term. He began serving on the Metrolink Board of Directors as a voting member in January 2013.

Prior to his election to the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Nelson served on the Fullerton City Council from 2002 until 2010, including stints as mayor (2004-05, 2006-07) and mayor pro tem (2003-04). In addition to his service on the Metrolink and OCTA boards, Nelson is a member of the Orange County Council of Governments, the Orange County Housing Authority, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Southern California Association of Governments, Southern California Water Committee, and the Transportation Corridor Agency. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from USC, a Juris Doctor Degree from Western State University College of Law and studied economics at Harvard University.

Nelson replaces Highland Mayor Larry McCallon, who served as the chair of the Metrolink Board since February 2014. McCallon is a representative of San Bernardino Association of Governments (SANBAG).

Busch initially began to serve on the Metrolink Board in 2005, as an alternate, and was appointed as a voting member in 2008. He was first elected the mayor of Perris in 1999 and most recently ran unopposed in 2012. Through his efforts, RCTC is in the final phases of construction of an extension of Metrolink service to the City of Perris.

Millhouse was elected to the Moorpark City Council in 2000 and is currently serving as Mayor Pro Tem. He previously served as chair of the Metrolink Board in 2009-10 and is also the past-chair of the VCTC and a member of the Southern California Association of Governments' (SCAG) Transportation Committee, in addition to other public posts. A graduate of Pepperdine University and Pepperdine School of Law, he practices law in Westlake Village specializing in environmental litigation.

For additional details on Metrolink, please visit www.metrolinktrains.com.

ABOUT METROLINK (www.metrolinktrains.com)

Metrolink is Southern California's regional commuter rail service in its 22^nd year of operation. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), a joint powers authority made up of an 11-member board representing the transportation commissions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, governs the service. Metrolink operates over seven routes through a six-county, 512 route-mile network. Metrolink is the third largest commuter rail agency in the United States based on directional route miles and the eighth largest based on annual ridership.

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