FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 4, 2007

JAMES TARBELL JOINS S.O.R.T.A. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CINCINNATI - James Tarbell has been appointed to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority's nine-member board of trustees.  SORTA operates Metro and Access public transportation services in Greater Cincinnati.

On Cincinnati City Council from 1998-2007, Tarbell served most recently as vice mayor and the chair of City Council's Arts, Culture, Tourism and Marketing Committee. He has served as a member of the City Planning Commission, the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, and the OKI Regional Council of Governments. As chair of the Arts Committee, he was instrumental in providing City funding for the expansion of downtown arts venues and development of arts centers in neighborhoods.

Tarbell started the Over-the-Rhine Arts District Homebuyers' Loan Program and is a champion for the redevelopment of the City's neighborhood business districts, including preservation and rehabilitation of the historic but blighted areas of the city. He founded the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce.

The recipient of several civic awards, Tarbell has served on the boards of Downtown Cincinnati Inc., Emery Center, Taft Museum and May Festival. A highly visible downtown advocate, Tarbell and his wife live in Over-The-Rhine.

Metro and Access are non-profit public services of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing almost 22 million rides per year in the Greater Cincinnati community.

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