For Immediate Release: September 21, 2020

Mariia Zimmerman, Founder and Principal of MZ Strategies, LLC, has been appointed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to the newly created Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) Board of Directors. Zimmerman will represent the Richmond metropolitan area on the statewide governing body.

The legislature created VPRA this past March after decades of local and statewide struggles between the needs for growing passenger rail service and freight rail service, with most of the state’s rail infrastructure owned by private companies. VPRA was established as an independent authority serving as the legal entity by which the Commonwealth will own and manage rail infrastructure throughout Virginia. Governor Northam is focused on building a Commonwealth that works better for all people, no matter who they are or where they live.

Zimmerman, a frequent Amtrak commuter, was appointed based upon her knowledge of passenger rail and transit issues having previously worked on federal passenger rail and transportation safety issues during her tenure at the US Department of Transportation and on Capitol Hill. She opened the Washington, D.C. office of the national transportation non-profit, “Reconnecting America,” which advocated for improved passenger rail and utilizing transit stations for local economic development. Over the past decade she has worked with dozens of communities across the country who are seeking to improve transit and rail service. She and her family moved to Richmond, VA from northern Virginia and she remains active in local and regional transportation and housing issues. MZ Strategies, LLC is a state-certified woman-owned, disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE).

Zimmerman personally knows the impacts of inadequate rail safety measures. Her father’s entire first family was killed at a rural railroad crossing in 1959. Providing a safe transportation system for all is a critical goal she will bring to her tenure on VPRA as the Commonwealth expands its rail infrastructure and management roles. In responding to this new opportunity Zimmerman noted, “I am excited to shape VPRA’s critical role in helping regional economies recover from the current public health and economic crisis, while creating the necessary framework for a more sustainable transportation network that provides greater mobility for future generations. I look forward to bringing experiences gained from launching other government programs to ensure VPRA meets statewide goals for improved rail service connecting metro areas and rural communities across the Commonwealth.”

###

For more information see Governor Northam’s Press Statement https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2020/september/headline-860427-en.html

VPRA Authorities and Enabling Legislation https://law.lis.virginia.gov/authorities/passenger-rail-authority-virginia/

Mariia Zimmerman and MZ Strategies, LLC http://mzstrategies.com/about