2022 Board Member: Raul Silva

Raul became exposed to the transportation industry while working his way through college in Miami, Florida, working as a Supervisor for UPS. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration, he was hired to oversee a large transportation department for Mount Sinai Medical Center, a large health care system company in Miami Beach, Florida, helping establish transportation for the disabled and senior riders. While at Mount Sinai, he was successfully promoted to three different managerial positions. During his tenure at Mount Sinai, he became familiar with the paratransit public transit sector, ADA, and FTA regulations.

 He switched from the private to public sector when he joined Palm Tran CONNECTION, as Operations Manager for a large, public transit agency in Palm Beach County, Florida. When the opportunity arose to work in the beautiful Pacific NW, he saw another challenge in working again with the private sector when he joined First Transit in 2009, as leading the local management overseeing service to Pierce Transit’s ADA paratransit service under the First Transit contract. He quickly understood the strategic and dynamic partnership between the private and public sector and continuing to serve the disabled community in Pierce County. plus brings to the local team over 29 years of paratransit experience, and is committed to providing service delivery excellence, through safe, efficient and employment of best practices in the operation of the public paratransit service in our community.

In past, has lead community engagement efforts to help local agencies through donations, volunteer activities and targeted acquisition of expendables or quality of life items, with local agencies such as AMVETS, Emergency Food Network, Samoan Family Food Bank, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, American Cancer Society, Wishing Well Foundation, Active Day Adult Day Care, and Boys and Girls Club of Pierce County,

 Raul was part of the LBA Woods Coalition that successful gathered community support and convinced the City of Olympia Council to purchase two privately owned parcels totally over 200 acres, so they can be converted to a public part to be enjoyed by generations to come and preserving the habitat of many local wildlife.

Raul enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor recreation, photography, art and all automobile related activities. He is privileged to be happily married to his wife for the past 33 years, together they have three young adult children, and two grand kids ages 6 months and 4 years he enjoys visiting and partaking in the growth.