FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2024
MARTA ADDS EXPERIENCED GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PROFESSIONALS TO
OFFICE OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid
Transit Authority (MARTA) announces the hiring of two government relations
professionals who will join the Office of External Affairs. Sr. Director of
Government & Community Affairs Jennifer Larosa and Government Affairs
Program Manager Stephanie Johnson Hardy bring decades of experience to MARTA’s
Government Affairs team and will work to advance the interests of the Authority
at the local, state, and federal levels.
“MARTA serves four jurisdictions and relies
on federal and most recently state funding support to improve and expand the
system, so it’s imperative that we have a government relations team that is
experienced working within local and state politics, and familiar with the
nuances of transit governance and policy,” said Assistant General Manager of
External Affairs Colleen Kiernan.
Larosa previously worked as a lobbyist for
MARTA while at Ohio River South and McGuire Woods Consulting, and has a long
track record of transit and funding legislative successes including the
creation of Georgia’s first dedicated funding source for transit capital
projects and the establishment of the Transit Trust Fund. Larosa received her undergraduate
degree in her native Louisiana and subsequent degrees at Georgia State
University and the University of Georgia.
Johnson Hardy brings to MARTA over 20
years’ experience in the public and private sectors, including working as Chief
of Staff to Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell for close to a
decade, and most recently as a Regional Director at AT&T handling
legislative and community engagement. A native Georgian, Johnson Hardy is a
board member and volunteer with several local organizations.
Both women, with support from members of
the Government Affairs team, will maintain a visible presence at the State
Capitol, fostering positive working relationships with political and community
stakeholders to ensure the successful execution of MARTA’s legislative program,
and helping secure necessary funding.
###