I try to never bury the lede, so I’ll get right to it: After more than 10 years at the TTC, I’m returning to City Hall on Jan 7 as its first-ever Chief Communications Officer. My last day at the TTC is Dec. 14.
Day in and day out, the TTC safely gets us to where we need to go. Then it does it again the next day. It’s called the daily miracle.
Really, it’s a commitment to public service by the women and men of this great organization. I’m proud to have played a part.
From operators to stations staff to planners to special constables to HR professionals to mechanics and especially to my colleagues in comms, a very big thank you.
I’ve worked for three TTC CEOs: Gary Webster, Andy Byford and now Rick Leary. Transit is a complex beast and each taught me a lot.
The city is lucky to have had, and still have under Rick, incredibly smart and good people leading the TTC.
As a teenager from Scarborough, I took the TTC everywhere – school, part-time jobs, concerts, the mall, Yonge St. pinball arcades... it was a lifeline.
It’s crazy to me that a few decades later I became the TTC’s go-to for public explanations. It has been a humbling experience to play that role. I’ll miss it.
I hear there are some changes afoot at City Hall. I’ve lived in interesting times at the TTC, so I’m more than ready for what may come.
City government touches our lives more than any other order of government. It matters.
You shared your passion about the TTC with me here – sometimes in many colourful ways. To those who let us know when we got it wrong, and also when we got it right, thank you.
I also want to thank the media. The TTC is in the news almost every day. Journos have been nothing but professional, ensuring the TTC had a chance to explain or shed light on a story.
Buy a newspaper subscription.
I’ll continue to meet up with you all here in the new year… I guess I’ll need a new Twitter handle.
In the meantime, thanks for reading. It’s been a fun ride.
