IndyGo Plans for Leadership Transition

Updated Friday, Dec. 15, 9:30 a.m.

As a part of the regularly scheduled December board meeting, Thursday, Dec. 14, Jennifer Pyrz was appointed to Interim President and CEO of IndyGo.

Posted Friday, Dec. 4, 11:30 a.m.

President and CEO plans to resign, interim leader identified

INDIANAPOLIS — After nearly five years at the helm of the agency, IndyGo president and CEO Inez Evans has notified IndyGo of her plans to depart from her position on December 31, 2023. The IndyGo Board of Directors is poised to accept her resignation and celebrate her tenure during the upcoming board meeting on December 14. Also during this meeting, the board will formally appoint Jennifer Pyrz to serve as interim CEO until the appointment of a new permanent CEO.

“Ms. Evans’ unwavering leadership and unparalleled expertise made her a true trailblazer. She will leave an indelible mark on Indianapolis. The IndyGo Board and the agency’s leadership are committed to uplifting her during this time of transition,” said Mary Ann Fagan, a member of IndyGo’s Board of Directors. “We are grateful to Jennifer Pyrz for stepping in as interim CEO. She understands this agency and the vital service the IndyGo team provides to the city of Indianapolis, and we have no doubt she will continue the positive trajectory of the journey we’ve been on.”

Evans’ tenure at IndyGo’s helm brought national and international recognition to the agency and her leadership. Her continued commitment to clean energy led to IndyGo’s recent selection as a 2023 Clean Air Award recipient by the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA), making it the first public transportation agency to receive the honor. Her efforts on behalf of public transit in the Indianapolis community were recognized in May of 2023 by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) with the annual Shirley DeLibero COMTO Woman Who Moves the Nation Award. She was also named the 2023 Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International Woman of the Year. As IndyGo’s leader, Evans oversaw the construction and completion of IndyGo’s new 110,000-square-foot East Campus headquarters facility while leading the agency’s nearly 800 employees, directing a fleet of more than 300 vehicles and managing a total budget of more than $256 million. She also collaborated closely with the Hogsett administration and the City-County Council to increase the city’s commitment to transit-oriented development, bringing access, opportunity and growth to the entire community by focusing development efforts along transit lines.

“During her time as President and CEO, Inez has led IndyGo through a pivotal time for the expansion of bus rapid transit. The agency launched the Red Line, weathered the challenges of the pandemic, and is now well on its way to constructing the Purple Line, with the Blue Line to follow,” Mayor Hogsett said in a statement. “Improved access to transit means better access to jobs, education and opportunities that boost quality of life. Our city is grateful for her service.”

City-County Council President Vop Osili echoed Hogsett’s sentiment, saying, “Inez’s vision for what IndyGo could become for the residents of Indianapolis led to some of the most innovative partnerships our community has ever seen. From the Food in Transit initiative to making COVID vaccines available at our transit center, she made clear that public transit has a critical role to play in the health and wellbeing of our entire city.”

Pyrz is well-positioned to continue IndyGo’s successful track record as interim president and CEO. She is a civil engineer who earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Purdue University. She joined IndyGo in April 2020 as the agency’s Chief Development Officer and Vice President of Infrastructure, Strategy and Innovation, overseeing all day-to-day planning, design and construction at IndyGo. That has included oversight responsibility for the much-anticipated Purple Line, one of the nation’s largest all-electric Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line projects. But her experience with large-scale infrastructure projects extends well beyond IndyGo; prior to joining the agency, Pyrz played a major role in projects like the Bloomington Transit Center, I-69 Section 6 and U.S. Highway 31 through Hamilton County.

Throughout this transition, IndyGo’s board and leadership will continue to work together to strengthen and unite the agency and community. The agency’s priority will always be to provide safe, reliable and accessible mobility experiences to the Indianapolis community as it continues to work toward the completion of IndyGo’s Purple and Blue BRT lines, as planned.

Preparations to implement a comprehensive search for a permanent CEO will begin over the next several months and IndyGo will provide updates as this work progresses. During this process, the board is committed to open communication, providing continuity for employees and supporting agency leaders as opportunities to unite and enhance IndyGo are evaluated.

“Ms. Evans built an incredibly strong foundation for this continued work and the board is looking forward to a bright future for IndyGo and Indianapolis,” said Adairius Gardner, IndyGo Board of Directors Vice Chair.

###