Metrolink Hires Elissa Konove to Become Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Elissa Konove, the chief financial officer at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has agreed to serve as the deputy chief executive officer at the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink). Her expected start date is Sept. 14. "We had some of the most talented people in the nation apply for this position and Elissa was the clear choice," said Metrolink Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Art Leahy. "Elissa's experience at the FHWA, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and with Congressional leaders in Washington D.C. will be invaluable as Metrolink continues to be a national leader in rail safety and passenger service." As the agency's deputy CEO, Konove will provide leadership and support on budget, finance, and other Metrolink policies, while achieving the agency's goals and objectives to improve the system for riders. She will also work with external audiences and stakeholders to continue the Metrolink's path in becoming the safest railroad in the nation. In 2008, Konove was selected as the chief financial officer for the FHWA where she was the senior executive responsible for Federal highway budget, financial, and acquisition matters. She was responsible for a $40 billion annual budget, which included audit, accounting, and grant management, along with procurement operation activities. She oversaw a professional staff of 100 analysts, accountants, and contract specialists. Konove also managed $27.5 billion appropriated to the FHWA in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Konove initially came to the FHWA in 2006 as the director of its Office of Budget after serving as a program examiner and budget preparation specialist for the Executive Office of the President's Office of Management and Budget (OMB). At the OMB, she oversaw the formulation and execution of U.S. DOT agency budgets and coordinated surface transportation bill re-authorization and appropriation activities. In 2005, Konove served on an assignment to the Senate Budget Committee, where she was responsible for the transportation function during development of and negotiations on the Congressional budget resolution. Konove earned a master's degree in public policy from the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California in 2001, after earning a B.A. in political science with a minor in environmental policy analysis and planning from the University of California, Davis.