First Transit Expands Innovation Leadership

CINCINNATI – First Transit, the leader in providing mobility solutions, announces expansion of its innovation leadership team. Tina Morch-Pierre and Derek Fretheim have joined the organization as senior directors of innovation, supporting strategic innovation initiatives of mobility as a service (MaaS) and emerging transit technologies.

Morch-Pierre has more than 25 years of information technology experience, with particular focus on innovation and system integration. Morch-Pierre was most recently at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) as the assistant vice president of innovation, payment systems and statistical reporting.

Fretheim has over three decades experience building technologies, platforms, services and sustainable initiatives targeted at improving operations and customer experience in the transportation sector. Fretheim was most recently at moovel as the director of business development.

Morch-Pierre and Fretheim have deep experience in operations, project management, and partner development, having both introduced several transit innovations to the industry.

"Tina and Derek joining First Transit is major step forward in our continued evolution of expanding mobility and innovation solutions," said Sean Donovan, vice president of information technology and innovation at First Transit. "With their experience in transit innovation, we will be able to help our customers provide an enhanced passenger experience."

Morch-Pierre earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration and management and a master of business administration from Texas Women's University. Morch-Pierre is a member of the Secure Technology Alliance, the digital security industry's premier association.

Fretheim studied at California State University at Fullerton and has been appointed to the Mobility on Demand Alliance Standing Advisory Committee for ITS America, advancing the research and deployment of intelligent transportation technologies.


About First Transit:
First Transit, Inc. has more than 60 years of experience and is the largest private-sector provider of mobility solutions in North America, moving more than 300 million passengers annually. First Transit, Inc. provides operation, management, and consulting for more than 300 locations in 39 states, Canada and Puerto Rico for transit authorities, state departments of transportation, municipalities, universities, and private companies. First Transit employs more than 19,000 dedicated transit professionals. For additional information, please visit FirstTransit.com. To see how First Transit is leading the way in shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) initiatives, please visit FirstAV.com.