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Staff Directory

Meet our Team:

  • Megan Owens, Executive Director
  • Deb Freer, Assistant Director
  • Joel Batterman, Campaigns Manager
  • Za’Nyia Kelly, Engagement Manager
  • Petra Mihalko, Design Specialist (part-time)
  • Lukas Lasecki, Engagement Specialist (part-time)
  • Theresa De Benedetti, Communications Intern (part-time)
  • Makenna Literral, Community Outreach Intern (part-time)
  • Aaron Puno, Policy Intern (part-time)

Megan Owens, Executive Director

Megan on Channel 7's Flashpoint program
  • 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

Deb, TRU's 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

Joel, TRU's Campaigns Manager, on the bus
  • 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

Za'Nyia on a bus, looking at the camera
  • 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, Design Specialist (part-time)

Petra, TRU's Design Specialist
  • Designs TRU materials and coordinates communications efforts.
  • Resident of Ann Arbor from Downriver.
  • Previous experience designing transit signage and as a bus driver for the University of Michigan.
  • Finishing degree in Urban Technology and German at the University of Michigan.

Lukas Lasecki, Engagement Specialist (part-time)

Lukas, TRU's Engagement Specialist
  • 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 Intern (part-time)

Theresa looking at the camera.
  • Student journalist at Wayne State University.
  • Studying journalism with a concentration in print and online media with a minor in graphic design at Wayne State University.
  • Former breaking news reporter and news editor for The South End.

Makenna Litteral, Community Outreach Intern (part-time)

  • Second-year, dual-degree Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Master in Environment and Sustainability graduate student at the University of Michigan.
  • From Holland, MI and received an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from Central Michigan University.
  • Previously worked in environmental education and served as a College Completion Coach at Muskegon Community College through the AmeriCorps program.
  • Involved with the Radical Planning Initiative and the Agora Journal for Urban Planning and Design at the University of Michigan

Aaron Puno, Policy Intern (part-time)

  • Works on legislative policy and journalistic matters.
  • Lifelong Ann Arbor resident.
  • Former newspaper editor-in-chief.
  • Incoming junior at the University of Michigan for Urban Technology.