Board of Directors

At Metrolink we are committed to our goal of helping Southern California relieve congestion on overly crowded freeways, and helping residents throughout our six-county region find an easier way to commute. Take a moment to meet our distinguished Board of Directors who proudly serve to keep Metrolink operating at peak performance.

Board Secretary:
Michelle Pena (213) 452-0255
Fax (213) 452-0422
Email: [email protected]

 SCRRA Board Roster

 SCRRA Bylaws

Quick Links:

• Ara Najarian — Chair
• Larry McCallon  — Vice-Chair
• Doug Chaffee — 2nd Vice-Chair
• Kathryn Barger
• Brian Berkson
• Paul Krekorian
• Mark Murphy
• Hilda Solis
• Karen Spiegel
• Tony Trembley
• Alan D. Wapner

Ara Najarian — Chair

Ara Najarian has served as a member of the Glendale City Council since 2005 and has served as Mayor for four terms. Ara is current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). He served as MTA Chairman from 2009 -2010. Ara is also current Chairman of the Board of Metrolink. Ara has been a member of the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments representing Glendale since 2010 and has served two years as Chairman. Ara currently sits on the board of directors of the Hollywood Burbank Airport Authority.

Najarian has been an attorney in private practice in Glendale for 30 years. He received a BA in Economics from Occidental College and a J.D. from the USC School of Law. Ara has worked for Pasadena area U.S. Congressman Carlos Moorehead in Washington D.C. and in the LA County District Attorney’s office. He has presided as a mediator and Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Courts. Ara is the father of two boys, and is married to national news anchor Palmira Perez.

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Larry McCallon — Vice-Chair

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Doug Chaffee - 2nd Vice-Chair

Supervisor Doug Chaffee was elected the Orange County Board of Supervisors, 4th District in November of 2018. The 4th District includes the Cities of Brea, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, most of Anaheim, part of Buena Park, and unincorporated communities. Prior to his election, Supervisor Chaffee twice served as Mayor of the City of Fullerton and served as a Councilmember for a total of 6-years. While serving on the city council, Supervisor Chaffee made addressing homelessness, open space, and affordable housing his priorities. Supervisor Chaffee is a longtime Fullerton resident, graduating from Fullerton Union High School in 1961. Supervisor Chaffee has been practicing law in the City of Fullerton for over 50-years.

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Kathryn Barger

Supervisor Kathryn Barger was elected to represent the more than 2 million people of Los Angeles County’s Fifth District and currently sits on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors. She was appointed to the Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s Board of Directors in 2016 by the Chair of the Metro Board.

Kathryn is a lifelong resident of the Fifth District who began her career in public service as a student intern in the office of Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich while earning her BA in Communications from Ohio Wesleyan University. She rose to become his Chief Deputy Supervisor in 2001, where she served until her election to the Board.

During the course of her county career as chief policy advisor on Health, Mental Health, Social Service and Children’s issues, Kathryn provided leadership to deliver efficient and effective services and programs that have significantly improved the quality of life for foster children, seniors, veterans, the disabled and the mentally ill.

Committed to keeping our neighborhoods and communities safe, she has worked with state and federal leaders along with our County District Attorney’s office, Sheriff, and other law enforcement agencies to implement tough laws and vital public safety initiatives.

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Paul Krekorian

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Paul Krekorian has spent more than a decade in public service. Since 2010, he has served on the Los Angeles City Council where his leadership as chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee helped guide the city through the Great Recession and toward greater economic promise. He also leads the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments, a coalition of leaders advocating for the Valley’s two million residents, and serves as a board member for the LA County Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Paul graduated from Reseda’s Cleveland High School before earning his B.A. in political science from the University of Southern California and a law degree from UC Berkeley. Upon graduating, he spent two decades practicing business, entertainment, and property litigation, while also devoting his time to reducing domestic and gang violence.

In 2006, after three years on the Burbank Board of Education, Paul won election to the California State Assembly, representing the 43rd District. In Sacramento, Paul worked to increase government accountability and transparency as co-chair of the Legislative Ethics Committee. He also worked on landmark legislation to improve the environment, and authored the state’s first successful film and television production tax incentive, which stemmed the tide of runaway production and secured thousands of California jobs.

Paul lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife and three children.

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Mark Murphy

Mark A. Murphy is proud to have called Orange his home for his entire life. He was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital and graduated from Orange High School. He continued his education at Santa Ana College, and ultimately earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Southern California, where he also taught as a graduate assistant in the Business School.

Mark has been actively involved with causes, organizations and/or government in the City of Orange since his college days. His tenure on the City Council starting in 1993, combined with his business career, provides him with the unique opportunity to apply private industry knowledge and experience to the responsibilities of public office.

He was elected to be the Mayor of Orange in 2018, after being elected as a City Councilman in 2012 and  again in 2016. Prior to this, Mark served the City of Orange in a number of capacities, including Planning Commission Chairman, Centennial Commissioner, president of the Community Video Advisory Board, and Chair of Orange’s Millennium Commission. He was named Orange County’s “Local Elected Official of the Year” in 1998 and Orange’s Citizen of the Year in 2010.

Mark has served on local agency governing bodies, including Foothill Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency, Orange Elderly Services, and Orange Housing Development Corporation. He also actively supports numerous community organizations including the Orange Elks, the Friendly Center, the Orange Public Library Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Orange - as well as a number of youth education and sports groups.

Mark and his wife Vikki live in the eastern part of the city. His personal interests include live music, sports (especially basketball) and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Mark said, “The City of Orange has been a wonderful place to grow up and continue to call my home. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to contribute and serve my home town community; and I will continue to do so in every way I can.”

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Hilda Solis

Supervisor Hilda L. Solis was sworn in as Los Angeles County Supervisor for the First District of Los Angeles County on December 1, 2014.

Prior to becoming Supervisor she served as Secretary of Labor. Supervisor Solis was confirmed on February 24, 2009, becoming the first Latina to serve in the United States Cabinet. Before that, Supervisor Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in California, a position she held from 2001 to 2009.

In the Congress, Supervisor Solis’ priorities included expanding access to affordable health care, protecting the environment, and improving the lives of working families. A recognized leader on clean energy jobs, she authored the Green Jobs Act which provided funding for “green” collar job training for veterans, displaced workers, at risk youth, and individuals in families under 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

In 2007, Supervisor Solis was appointed to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), as well as the Mexico — United States Interparliamentary Group. In June 2007, Solis was elected Vice Chair of the Helsinki Commission’s General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. She was the only U.S. elected official to serve on this Committee.

A nationally recognized leader on the environment, Supervisor Solis became the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2000 for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues. Her California environmental justice legislation, enacted in 1999, was the first of its kind in the nation to become law.

Supervisor Solis graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. A former federal employee, she worked in the Carter White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and was later appointed as a management analyst with the Office of Management and Budget in the Civil Rights Division.

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Karen Spiegel

Karen Spiegel was elected to represent the Second Supervisorial District on November 6, 2018, and was sworn into office on January 8, 2019.  The Second District includes the unincorporated communities of Coronita, El Cerrito, Home Gardens and Highgrove, and the cities of Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Norco, and the western half of the City of Riverside.

Karen Spiegel began her political career as the elected City Treasurer for the City of Corona in 1996. After six years as Treasurer, she embraced the City Council elections in 2002 and served the City of Corona as Council Member for 16 years, serving as Mayor four terms. Her actions speak volumes and her unique passion for service truly sets her apart. She encourages community participation with City and County government and has introduced many new programs. Karen has been credited for her leadership in regional transportation issues, collaboration and regional partnerships.

In addition to the service in her District, Karen represents Riverside County on the Regional and State level in many organizations and has served in a leadership role on several. She is an energetic member of the community and her "roll-up your sleeves" attitude has led her to immerse herself in many civic, business and community activities. She has been honored for her service with numerous awards and recognitions over the years.

With her depth of knowledge and commitment to our community, Karen proudly represents the Second District on many boards including: Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) as Past Chair and current Commissioner and Executive Committee; Regional Council Member and Transportation Committee of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG); Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) Past Chair, current Director, Executive Committee Member as well as Chair of Administration and Operations Committee; Chair of the Flood Control and Water Conservation District; Vice-Chair of the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District; Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP); Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink); the Western Riverside County of Governments (WRCOG); and the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA).  Supervisor Spiegel sits on the Riverside University Health System (RUHS) Medical Center Governing Board and the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Board of Directors, the State of California’s 2^nd largest public health plan servicing Medi-Cal, Healthy Kids, and the Medicare Advantage Special Needs populations in the Riverside and San Bernardino County Region.

Karen graduated from California State University, Long Beach and did her graduate studies at Pepperdine University, where she received a Master’s Degree and was a Marriage Family Therapist (MFT) for over twenty-five years. Karen has had the opportunity to experience several different work environments including: counseling, restaurant/catering, electrical contracting, bookkeeping and is the owner of a local marketing company since 1985.

Karen and her husband of more than 33 years, Bobby, have five adult children and one grandchild. She treasures the time she can spend with her grandson RJ, who adores his Bubbie (grandmother). All five of their children have experienced domestic and international travel and have each received their Bachelor Degrees or higher. Karen has been a tremendous influence on her children and believes that “Education and life experiences give our youth the foundation to build upon so that our values, customs and history live on in future generations.”

Tony Trembley

Tony Trembley was elected at large to the Camarillo City Council in 2016 and reelected in November 2020 to represent the City’s new District 4. He served as the City’s Mayor in 2020. In addition to his Council assignments, Tony currently is the Vice Chairman of the Ventura County Transportation Commission; a Board Member on the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency; and a Board Member on the statewide California Association of Sanitation Agencies.

Tony received his undergraduate education at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland and the University of California, Davis. He earned his B.A. degree with highest honors from UC Davis in Political Science/Public Service. Tony thereafter was a postgraduate Assembly Fellow in the California Legislature and subsequently received his law degree in 1983 from the UC Davis School of Law.

Since 1983, Tony has specialized in the general counsel representation of special districts and joint powers authorities, with particular emphasis in water, wastewater and environmental issues. He is retiring from law practice in April 2021.

Tony and his wife of 41 years Kathy have lived in Camarillo since 1983. Kathy is a retired 36-year public school kindergarten teacher. They have three adult children.

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Alan D. Wapner

Council Member Alan D. Wapner has been a member of the Ontario City Council for nearly 24 years. He has a keen understanding of policy, local government and economic development. During his tenure on the Ontario City Council, the city has experienced record economic success. His leadership in projects like, the Ontario Mills Mall, the Ontario Convention Center, the Ontario Police Station, as well as the Citizens Business Bank Arena, are just some of the projects that have improved the quality of life for the residents of Ontario and the local community. Alan is probably most proud of his leadership in regaining local control of the Ontario International Airport, and as President of the Airport Authority, overseeing an unprecedented successful turn-around of business at the airport, and huge economic impact in the city and region.

Alan represents Ontario on many regional boards, and is known in the region as an expert on transportation planning. He is also a longtime member of the League of California Cities and the National League of Cities Public Safety Policy Committees. Alan’s leadership positions of the following boards has greatly benefitted Ontario and the Region:

•  President of the Ontario International Airport Authority
•  Immediate Past President of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
•  Immediate Past President of the San Bernardino County Council of Government
•  President of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
•  Member of League of California Cities Board of Directors
•  Member of the Board of Directors of Omnitrans (Transit Agency)
•  Member of Metrolink Board of Directors
•  Member of League of California Cities Inland Division Legislative Task Force
•  Member of the Metro Foothill Gold Line Extension Construction Authority
•  Member of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission
•  Member of the Board of the California Association of Councils of Governments
•  Member of the Executive Committee of the Airport International Board Member Committee

Prior to his election to the City Council, Alan was the Vice President of the Ontario-Montclair School Board, where he was a tireless advocate for improving public education. On the School Board, Wapner was a leader in making sure the district’s children received the best education possible.
Alan is a retired police sergeant of the City of Ontario, and is an Ontario business owner.
Alan has been a resident of Ontario for over 40 years. He is married to Judi, and has five children and three grandchildren. Alan graduated from the University of Southern California, where he received his B.A. and received his Law Degree from Whittier College School of Law.

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