The D.C. Council will nominate a former U.S. Department of Transportation official to represent the District as a voting member on the Metro board of directors, filling the seat left vacant by Council Member Jack Evans.
Council chairman Phil Mendelson announced the nomination of Stephanie Gidigbi, an Obama appointee, on Tuesday.
“I’m really excited that with Stephanie we’ve got someone who is a regular transit user, knowledgeable about transportation issues, and – as a resident of Ward 8 – committed to the District,” Mr. Mendelson said. “She will be a fresh face on the [Metro] board and is sensitive to the changing technologies that are transforming transportation.”
Mr. Evans announced he would not seek reelection as Metro Board chairman after an ethics investigation into whether he used his position to benefit the clients of his private consulting firm. His membership on the board ended when his term expired.
A legal memo from an outside law firm conducting the investigation found he “knowingly” violated ethics rules to help friends and clients, and Mr. Evans acknowledged that he committed one ethics violation.
Metro “could not have a better steward of the nation’s transit agency than Stephanie Gidigbi,” former U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “She is smart, energetic, full of integrity and passionate about ensuring equity in transportation. She’s an outstanding choice.”
Following the ethics investigation, Corbett Price, the city’s other member of the Metro board, also stepped down, leaving another vacancy that Mr. Mendelson said he hopes to fill soon. Mr. Price had faced scrutiny over his efforts to hide Mr. Evans’ actions.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has nominated Lucinda Babers to replace Mr. Price on the board, which requires the council’s approval.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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