Skip to content
Meet our Team:
- Megan Owens, Executive Director
- Deb Freer, Assistant Director
- Joel Batterman, Campaigns Manager
- Za’Nyia Kelly, Engagement Manager
- Petra Mihalko, Communications Manager
- Lukas Lasecki, Engagement Specialist (part-time)
- Theresa De Benedetti, Communications Intern (part-time)
- Kiersten Bush, Research Fellow (part-time)
Megan Owens, Executive Director
- Plans, manages, guides, and oversees all TRU’s work.
- Transit expert frequently quoted in area media and on conference panels.
- Served on Advisory Councils for the RTA, SEMCOG, Oakland County Transit, and M-1 Rail.
- 25 years experience in progressive advocacy, including with the Public Interest Research Groups.
- Training from University of Michigan and Leadership Detroit.
Deborah Freer, Assistant Director
- Leads TRU’s event planning, membership engagement, and fundraising.
- Project Manager for the Michigan Towards Equitable Electric Mobility cohort.
- Community Outreach Coordinator for the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority for several years.
- Degree in Urban Planning from Eastern Michigan University.
Joel Batterman, Campaigns Manager
- Manages TRU’s volunteer team and activism.
- Leads TRU’s Detroit bus advocacy and Transportation Civic Academy.
- Previously led Motor City Freedom Riders and Transit Riders of the United States Together (TRUST), a national network of transit advocates
- PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan
Za’Nyia Kelly, Engagement Manager
- Advancing the understanding of transit within the Detroit Region and the mobility needs of residents.
- Native Detroiter with 17 years of experience in climate and environmental advocacy as well as racial justice activism.
- Dedicated to advocating for the improved health and well-being of underserved communities both locally and globally.
Petra Mihalko, Communications Manager
- Designs TRU materials, coordinates communications efforts.
- Originally from Downriver, splits time between Detroit and Chicago.
- Previous experience designing transit signage and as a bus driver for the University of Michigan.
- Finishing a degree in Urban Technology and German at the University of Michigan.
Lukas Lasecki, Engagement Specialist (part-time)
- Organizes & supports TRU’s volunteer efforts.
- Daily SMART bus rider from Farmington.
- Avid public transit enthusiast and local bus expert.
- Studying Political Science at Oakland Community College
Theresa De Benedetti, Communications Associate (part-time)
- Creates TRU’s video, and helps communications efforts
- Graduated from Wayne State University with a concentration in print and online media with a minor in graphic design.
- Student journalist at Wayne State University.
- Former breaking news reporter and news editor for The South End.
Kiersten Bush, Research Fellow (part-time)
- Mbus rider from Columbus, Ohio
- Junior at the University of Michigan studying Political Science
- President of Habitat For Humanity for the UMich Campus Chapter
- Interested in urban planning, housing policy, and community design
