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

Eighteen years of transit industry executive recruiting experience
More than 250 combined years of transit industry management experience
More than 265 searches (dozens of CEOs) completed across more than 70 agencies
Extensive experience working with public boards
Highly experienced in working within transparent environments
Experience leading transit organizations of similar size and complexity
Senior transit executives as project managers
Highly stable team -- no staff departures in 18 years other than planned retirements
Hands-on engagement of KL2 principals, not just oversight
Extensive APTA management, board, and committee experience
Decades of career experience identifying, developing, and managing transit talent
Searchable database of thousands of active and passive prospects
Industry insider access, access to passive as well as active candidates
Several regional offices — the agility to quickly adjust to clients’ needs
A commitment to diversity (40% of CEO placements have been women or minorities)

red and white bus on road during daytime

Representative Clients

Credentials

Al Schlimm, President and CEO

More than forty 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

Over 40 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 Asso-ciation; Urban Transit GM of the Year (TN, 2001); PhD (Admini-stration), 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

Thirty-six years of transit industry experience, 12 as a senior executive at WMATA; 5 years as principal of Transit Management Consulting LLC. 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, CTAA, and state associations in Virginia and Florida. In APTA, now serving third term on the Board of Directors. Graduate of the Leadership APTA program (2003); 2012 recipient of APTA's Innovation Award. Serves on the COMTO Board of Directors and has been tapped by both APTA and COMTO in the selection of their 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).

Tony Kouneski (KL2 Co-Founder)

APTA Hall of Fame member
Thirty-five years of public transit management experience
Ten additional years as executive recruiter (and KL2 founder)
Twelve years as APTA’s Vice President of Member Services
GM NJ Transit, Capital Metro (Austin), SORTA (Cincinnati), SunTran (Tucson)

Celia Kupersmith

APTA Hall of Fame member
Eleven years as CEO, Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District
Two years as Deputy CEO, Sound Transit
Six years as Executive Director, Regional Transit Commission Washoe County (Reno)
Two terms on APTA's Executive Committee
APTA Board Chair (2002/2003)

John Bartosiewicz

APTA Hall of Fame member
Twenty-five years as President and CEO of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority
Fourteen years COO/Special Assistant to President, McDonald Transit, RATP Dev USA
Three years as Administrative Assistant and Acting Transit Director, Town of Chapel Hill
APTA Board Chair (1999-2000); Chair of APTA Diversity Council (1999)
Winner APTA award for Best Transit System Manager in North America

Paul Muldoon

Seventeen years as VP and Senior VP Business Development (Cubic, Thales, Stratagen)
Manager of Facilities Design and Development, City of Bellevue WA
Deputy Commissioner, Light Rail Planning Project (City of Chicago)
General Manager, Oaklawn Transit (Division of Pace Bus)
Assistant General Manager, SunTran (Tucson)
Bachelor’s, Transportation/Mobility Management (Indiana University)

The KL2 Advisory Board

KL2 in the News...

KL2 CEO Placement 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 (January 2022)

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 Placement Henry Li Named "Top Public Transit Executive" — Regional Transit chief Henry Li… has been named the top public transit executive in the country for 2019 by the American Public Transportation Association. APTA, in announcing the award, called Li “a visionary and transformational leader” who has restored positive financial ratings and rebuilt public trust. — Sacramento Bee (July 2019)

KL2 CEO Placement 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)

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 (July 2019)