Proclamation
Whereas, Elsa Ortiz is currently serving her fourth term as President of the AC Transit Board of Directors, and her last term on this Board, and has represented the City of Alameda , and portions of Oakland and San Leandro for the past 16 years; and
Whereas, during her tenure on the AC Transit Board, President Ortiz worked to make buses a key element of the Bay Area ’s transportation network, and to have AC Transit provide the best possible service for its riders; and
Whereas, President Ortiz ensured that AC Transit provides reliable service, with connections to Webster Street and downtown Oakland, for Alameda’s West End and Alameda Point residents, by identifying permanent and stable funding sources; and
Whereas, President Ortiz was a staunch advocate of the return of AC Transit Line 19 to Alameda’s Northern Water, the Line 78 Pilot bus running between Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal and Fruitvale BART, providing bus passes for residents of new housing developments in Alameda, and free bus passes for seniors and people with disabilities; and
Whereas, Elsa Ortiz currently serves as Vice Chair of the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) where she championed ACTC’s Affordable Student Transit Pass Program in partnership with AC Transit and other transit providers; and
Whereas, Ms. Ortiz earned her bachelor’s degree with honors, and teaching credentials , from the University of California at Berkeley, and her Juris Doctor from John F. Kennedy College of Law.
She previously worked as a Special Assistant Deputy Attorney General , and was a Policy Consultant to two former State Senate Presidents , Don Perata an d Darrell Steinberg , on issues affecting Indian Nations; and
Whereas, Ms. Ortiz, a native of Colombia, and ro le model for women and Latinas, recently received the 2022 Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award from the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) San Francisco – Bay Area Chapter. She previously received the 2018 Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) NorCal Chapter “Pioneer Award”, the 2019 COMTO National “Women Who Move the Nation Award”, and the 2018 Genesis “Equity Award.”
Now, therefore be it resolved, that I, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Mayor of the City of Alameda, on behalf of the Alameda City Council, do hereby express our deep gratitude to Elsa Ortiz for assuring frequent, reliable AC Transit service for those who live, work, and play in Alameda . We congratulate Elsa on her long and distinguished career, and extend our best wishes for her well-deserved retirement.
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft
Mayor
November 1, 2022