TLPA

MEET TLPA’S NEW PRESIDENT

On October 10, 2006, R. Brian Wier was elected President of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association. His first official act as president was to give a speech outlining his goals for TLPA in 2007.

Chief among those goals was to update the TLPA Strategic Plan and structuring the TLPA office and staff to implement the plan. Other goals center around:

  • the development of a web based driver training program,
  • completion and release of a new Source of Federal Funds for Private Operators report, and
  • upgrading the TLPA web site to add a unique password for each member to access the Member's Only section, and
  • to add a classified ads section for all to use.

President Wier ended his presentation by introducing his wife Judy, his daughter Lauren, and his "personal hero", his son Michael, who had just returned from his second tour of duty as a Marine in Iraq. The session ended with the audience giving Brian and his family a standing ovation.


Transportation Experience

About the same time that Brian Wier was elected the voluntary president of TLPA, he accepted the compensated position of President and Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Transport on Demand (VTOD). This resulted from the purchase of SuperShuttle International of which Brian was and remains President and Chief Executive Officer, a position he has held since 1997. (See excerpts from the press release given below.)

Brian Wier has over 20 years experience in the transportation industry. In his current position with VTOD he is responsible for managing the nation's largest shared ride transportation system. Under his guidance SuperShuttle has grown from 8 SuperShuttle locations to 20 locations operating 1,200 vehicles and transporting over 6 million passengers at 24 of the nation's largest airports.

Mr. Wier joined SuperShuttle in 1987 as General Manager of the company's Dallas operation. In 1994 Mr. Wier transferred to SuperShuttle's headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona as its Vice President of Operations. He has served as President and a director of the Company since February 1997 and as its Chief Executive Officer since February 1998.


Volunteer Service

A veteran of ground transportation, Mr. Wier serves as president and board member of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) the largest trade organization in the industry. He is also a former president and current board member of the Airport Ground Transportation Association (AGTA), and is a past member of various travel industry boards. He has also served on the board of directors for the Fiesta Bowl and is a veteran having served in the United States Marine Corps.


Hit the Ground Running

President Wier's first major action as TLPA president was meeting with James Simpson, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, in Washington, DC on Thursday, December 7. President Wier gave his practical experience on the difficulties that many private operators experience in the transit planning process and in developing a new or restructured transportation service.

He called on the FTA to issue a grant to TLPA to establish a training and technical assistance program designed to assist private operators to more effectively participate in the federally sponsored transportation program, a request Mr. Simpson agreed to consider.


TLPA Spring Conference in Baltimore

Enjoy an enriched educational experience at TLPA's Spring Conference & Exposition in Baltimore, Maryland, May 3-6, 2007. The conference will be held at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel in the heart of the city.

Stroll the waterfront, have your fill of fresh steamed Maryland crabs, or meander through the interesting shops in the Harbor Pavilions. Baltimore is definitely a destination to bring the whole family.

Some of Baltimore's top attractions line the Inner Harbor including the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Maryland Science Center and the USS Constellation. Other famous sites in Baltimore include Fort McHenry of "Star Spangled Banner" fame and the Edgar Allen Poe House.

Those interested in sports history can peek inside the new Sports Legends Museum located at Camden Yards, the home of the major league Orioles, or visit Babe Ruth's birthplace, a museum dedicated to his life and career as one of America's greatest athletes.

Art lovers won't want to miss visiting two of the country's most prestigious art museums-The Baltimore Museum of Art featuring the renowned Cone collection of 20th century art by painters such as Matisse, Picasso, and Cezanne, and the Walters Art Gallery with more than 30,000 masterpieces covering 5000 years of history. Antiques lovers can browse the 75 antique dealers in Baltimore's Antique Row.

TLPA's host operator for this Spring Conference & Exposition is Yellow Transportation of Baltimore, owned and operated by Veolia Transport on Demand. Mark Joseph, CEO of Veolia Transportation North America and Dwight Kines, General Manager of:

  • Yellow Transportation, which operates Yellow Cab Association,
  • Checker Cab Association,
  • Sun Cab Association,
  • Yellow Van (paratransit services) and
  • Yellow Bus

are hosting a tour of their facilities for all convention participants on Saturday, May 5. On Friday evening May 4, our hosts are sponsoring dinner at Orioles Park at Camden Yards for the first 200 conference registrants followed by the Baltimore Orioles/Cleveland Indians baseball game.

On the opening day, Thursday, May 3, there will be open meetings of the Taxicab and the Paratransit & Contracting Steering Committees. That evening from 6:00pm to 7:30pm will feature the Opening Cocktail Reception in the Exposition Hall.

Friday morning, May 4, will feature:

  • a generous buffet breakfast in the Exposition Hall followed by
  • three concurrent breakout sessions focusing on taxicab topics, paratransit and contracting topics, and
  • an open meeting of the Limousine & Sedan Steering Committee.

Then, there is a buffet lunch in the Exposition Hall.

The afternoon general session will feature Jon Burkhardt from Westat releasing his new report "Business Growth Opportunities For TLPA Members In Federally Funded Transportation Programs" followed by a panel of operators who will tell us how they received contracts in the programs reviewed in the report. The meeting sessions will end with an open meeting of the Nominating Committee followed by the dinner and baseball game at Camden Yards.

Saturday morning, May 5, will feature a general session followed
by an afternoon tour of Yellow Transportation of Baltimore with facility that services about 900 vehicles.

Yellow Transportation developed a full city block to include their facility which has computer dispatch, full maintenance garage, and administrative offices. Yellow Transportation also leases property
to a car wash and Jiffy Lube, which service many of the owner
drivers affiliated with Yellow Transportation.

TLPA's Spring Conference allows for a more intimate setting than does our Annual Convention which in turn enables our exhibitors to focus on you in a more relaxed atmosphere.

The exhibit will feature tabletop exhibits and floor exhibits from vendors eager to show Spring Conference attendees new ways that they can help operators build their businesses.

Visit TLPA's web site at www.tlpa.org for registration and hotel information and a detailed agenda.

Harold Morgan, TLPA Director of Research & Education, submitted this article.

 

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