2026 Summit Program 8.5x11-1 - Flipbook - Page 3
Saludos a todos,
On behalf of the Central Ohio Transit Authority, it is my pleasure to welcome you to
Columbus for the 2026 LIT Leadership Summit. COTA is incredibly proud to serve as the
host transit agency, and we are excited to welcome transit professionals, emerging leaders
and longtime friends from across the country to our community.
Columbus is a city on the move. It is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country,
with a vibrant Downtown, thriving neighborhoods, a growing culinary scene and the
welcoming spirit that makes Central Ohio such a special place to live and visit. During your
stay, I hope you have an opportunity to experience some of what our city has to offer.
You will also have an opportunity to experience Columbus the way we know best: by transit.
The Hilton Columbus Downtown is conveniently located near COTA’s frequent transit lines,
providing easy connections throughout Downtown and along High Street into the Short
North. Within just a short ride, you can explore dozens of restaurants, local businesses,
entertainment destinations and some of the neighborhoods that give Columbus its unique
character.
As your host agency, we are especially excited to welcome you behind the scenes at COTA.
We look forward to providing a tour of one of our state-of-the-art transit facilities and
sharing some of the work underway to prepare our system and our region for the future.
More importantly, we look forward to learning from each of you. The greatest value of
gatherings like this often comes from exchanging experiences, discussing our shared
challenges and bringing new ideas back to the communities we serve.
This Summit is also an opportunity to celebrate leadership. I am especially excited to
recognize the newest graduates of the LIT Leadership Academy and the commitment they
have made to growing as leaders in our industry. Developing the next generation of transit
professionals is essential to our collective success, and I hope this week provides every
participant with new relationships, new perspectives and renewed energy for the work
ahead.
Thank you to LIT for bringing this important gathering to Columbus, and thank you to each of
you for being part of it. I hope you enjoy our city, connect with colleagues from across the
industry and leave inspired by the conversations and experiences we will share together.
Welcome to Columbus, and welcome to the 2026 LIT Leadership Summit.
Hasta pronto,
Monica Téllez-Fowler
COTA President/CEO
Member, LIT Board of Directors
