Executive Recruiting | KL2 Connects LLC

Why KL2?

Because we are public transit professionals who have long served our industry through agency and association leadership and ongoing participation.

Because we are knowledgeable, politically savvy, passionate and transit, creative, solutions- oriented, tenacious, and culturally sensitive and aware.

Because we address the industry's succession planning challenges head-on by identifying, cultivating, and advancing the most qualified talent.

Because we make it our daily business to understand public transit and executive recruiting issues, challenges, trends, and best practices.

Because we "walk the walk" on diversity and inclusion. (Forty percent of our CEO placements have been women and/or minorities.)

Because we know public transit and executive recruiting inside out. And, together with our clients, we are dedicated to building a brighter public transit future.

Testimonials

"We were entering into an expansion and it was critical to find a leader with the right skill set, vision, and fit. KL2 provided a diverse slate of candidates, and we are pleased to say that our selection has exceeded expectations."

"We were searching for a VP. After months with another recruiter we turned to KL2 and within a few weeks we had three strong candidates. KL2 stayed with us through a difficult negotiation and ultimately closed the deal. We would use them unhesitatingly."

"We've retained KL2 to fill C-suite positions on multiple occasions. In each case they delivered a top-flight pool of qualified professionals. Their project managers are transit-savvy, well organized, and results-oriented. "

"Thank you for putting together a transparent and concise package for the board to review, along with an excellent Leadership Profile. I was concerned I'd be spending an endless amount of time reviewing resumes and here I am ready to discuss!"

"Talent is a gift.

Character is a choice."

~ John C. Maxwell

KL2 Connects, LLC

Established in 2007 - nearly 20 years in exclusive service to the transit industry
More than 275 searches (dozens of CEOs) completed across more than 70 agencies
Extensive executive recruitment experience:
- More than 250 combined years in transit industry management
- Identifying, developing, and managing transit talent
- Working with public boards and politically sensitive environments
- Leading transit organizations of varying size and complexity
- National leadership within trade association (APTA), to include committee chair and board of director roles and three Hall of Fame honorees
Team approach
- Senior transit executives as project managers; two assigned to every search
- Hands-on engagement of all KL2 principals, not just oversight
- Board of Advisors support principals with additional insight
Vast industry network
- Rich database of thousands of pre-vetted candidates
- Industry insider access to active and passive prospects
- Offices in four U.S. time zones — agility to quickly adjust to clients’ needs
- A commitment to diversity (40% of CEO placements have been women and/or people of color)

red and white bus on road during daytime

Representative Clients

Credentials

Al Schlimm, President and CEO

More than 40 years as an executive, consultant, and project manager. Eleven years as KL2's Chief Executive Officer. Extensive business development, contract administration, research, and marketing experience. Former consultant to major corporations such as Proctor and Gamble, Microsoft, Verizon, T. Rowe Price, Black & Decker, Marriott Corporation, MCI, Progressive Insurance, and Becton Dickinson.

Robert Babbitt PhD, Principal

Nearly 50 years of transit industry experience; former transit system GM (Nashville MTA); team leader; national consultant; conference/ committee participant and speaker; former president TN Public Transportation Association; Urban Transit GM of the Year (TN, 2001); PhD (Administration), CPA, BA (Political Science); member of APTA (8 committees), SWTA, TTA, KPTA, FPTA, ATA, CalACT; executive, author, instructor, moderator, speaker, editor.

Kristen Joyner, Principal

Twelve years as Executive Director South West Transit Association; 3 as Executive Administrative Assistant, Central AR Transit Authority; Founder of KJ Backpack LLC (connecting exceptional trainers to transit professionals); developed curricula (Hiring and Retaining Great Transit Employees, Leadership for Transit, Silver Bullets for Transit Supervisor Success; developed Transit Leadership Recognition Initiative For Human Trafficking Awareness; initiated Operations Vets In Public Transportation; member of Secretary of Transportation's Advisory Council on Transportation, Human Trafficking; APTA Board Member (2010-2012); Chair, APTA Training and Technical Assistance Sub-Committee; member, APTA CEO Search Task Force and APTA Intergovernmental Relations, Legislative, Marketing, Mobility Management, Small Ops, Access, and State Affairs committees.

Christian T. Kent, Managing Principal

Nearly 40 years of transit industry experience, 12 as a senior executive at WMATA; 8 years as principal of Transit Management Consulting. Decades of transit and paratransit operations experience during which he developed job roles new and unique to transit and then recruited, trained, and promoted numerous professionals into leadership positions. Maintains a strong presence in several industry associations including APTA, COMTO, and the state association in Florida. In APTA, now serving his fourth term on the Board of Directors. Graduate of the Leadership APTA program (2003); 2012 recipient of APTA's Innovation Award. Served on the COMTO Board of Directors for seven years and was tapped by both APTA and COMTO in the selection of their two most recent CEOs. Graduate of Eno Transit Executive Program; co-author of the 2020 anthology, The Future of Public Transportation. Master's degree in teaching from the University of Virginia; adjunct professor for the National Transit Institute at Rutgers University.

Jeff Popovich, Principal

Ten years as APTA’s Chief Information Officer; member, APTA Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee; Chair, APTA LGBT Task Force; peer reviewer for public transit agencies of various sizes and complexity; coordinator of programs through APTA’s Transit Cooperative Research Program; graduate of APTA Executive Leadership Program; expert at applying IT and database management strategies to executive recruiting; 10 years as Project Manager and IT consultant for Ernst & Young, KPMG; led technology departments; involved with non-profits such as FirstBook.org; Bachelor’s (Park University), Master’s (Florida Institute of Technology).

KL2 in the News...

BLOOMINGTON, IL (May 26, 2026) Connect Transit board chair Julie Hile said Lange also will oversee the transit agency’s other capital projects and planned service improvements. “Brady Lange offers us proven leadership and the ability to bring complex projects to on-time completion. We are excited about his vision for integrated regional mobility,” Hile said in a statement. “Add to that Brady being a Normal native and a lifelong fan of our community, and we all have much to look forward to.”

SPOKANE, WA (July 22, 2025) - Spokane Transit Authority announced Thursday that Karl Otterstrom will take over as new chief executive officer, effective Aug. 10. Otterstrom succeeds Susan Meyer, who held the position for just under two decades before retiring last year. He has worked with Spokane Transit for more than 15 years, including acting as co-CEO with Brandon Rapez-Beatty since Jan. 1. Before that, Otterstrom held positions with King County Metro and the Federal Transit Administration.

ALBANY, NY (May 15, 2025) - MTA Executive Takes Over as Chief Executive Officer of CDTA - The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) welcomed new Chief Executive Officer Frank Annicaro on Monday, May 12, 2025. CDTA’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint Annicaro as CEO at their March Board of Directors meeting. “I’m honored to step into this role and lead an organization that connects people and strengthens communities across the Capital Region,” said CDTA CEO Frank Annicaro. “I plan to continue to strengthen mobility options for customers with the help of our 750 hard-working employees. As we look ahead, we’ll focus on addressing securing long-term transit funding, recruiting and retaining a strong workforce, and meeting sustainability goals. I want to thank the Board of Directors for their trust and confidence in me.”

SAN ANTONIO, TX (April 2024) - VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, Texas, has appointed John G. Clamp as chief administration officer (CAO) and Rod J. Sanchez, AICP, as senior vice president of planning and development.

RICHMOND, VA (January 2023) - Richmond, Va.’s GRTC selected Sheryl Adams to serve as its next CEO, following a search that was launched in September 2022. Adams has been with GRTC for 24 years and has led various departments, including operations, safety, and training. “We trust Sheryl can continue to lead our transit agency to new heights and are even more excited to be placing our first African American woman in the leadership seat for our agency,” said Board Chair Tyrone Nelson. “We believe Sheryl has cultivated her relationships with the workforce here at GRTC over the years that will continue to foster a family-like environment with our union and administration staff to keep the agency moving forward.”

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (January 2022) - KL2 CEO Candidate Jay Fox Will be Far from Home, But Excited — On the morning of January 3 Jay Fox and his family climbed into their Subaru and departed their home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. They drove 2,200 miles across the country, arriving at their new home in Bountiful, Utah, on the afternoon of Jan. 6. Jay Fox then began his new job as UTA Executive Director. — Utah Policy

KL2 Principal Celia Kupersmith Inducted into APTA Hall of Fame — Celia Kupersmith’s induction into APTA’s Hall of Fame was formally announced by APTA in Passenger Transport on October 16, 2020. Celia shares this career honor KL2’s two founding principals, Tony Kouneski and Jack Leary (retired).

KL2 Founder and Former APTA VP Member Services Tony Kouneski Inducted into Hall of Fame — Tony Kouneski has been a trailblazer throughout his 45-year career, and many progressive service delivery, marketing, safety, and staff development programs can be attributed to his leadership. Tony joins retired KL2 co-founder Jack Leary (a 2018 inductee) in APTA’s Hall of Fame. — APTA.com (October 2019)

KL2 Candidate Shawn Donaghy Honored — C-TRAN was recently honored by the American Public Transportation Association as the Nation’s Best Public Transit system…. C-TRAN won in the mid-sized category, meaning systems with between 4 and 12 million rides per year. — Clark County Today (July 2019)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 2019) - IndyGo Selects KL2 Candidate Inez Evans as New CEO — IndyGo has tapped a Silicon Valley transit executive as its new president and CEO. Inez Evans, Chief Operating Officer at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in California since 2015, will become IndyGo’s top executive next month. — Indiana Biz Journal