Research Triangle Park, N.C. - Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) Treasurer Bill Strom has been named one of the recipients of the 2005 Goodmon Award presented by Leadership Triangle.  

Leadership Triangle said in its news release, "During his six years as a Chapel Hill Town Council member, Bill Strom has worked hard to foster inter-regional cooperation. He has a strong focus on transportation and currently serves as treasurer of the Triangle Transit Authority board, and represents TTA on the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Bill’s efforts are reflected in encouraging development of new express bus service from Raleigh to Durham and Chapel Hill. This year, Strom took a leadership role in an inter-governmental collaboration among Orange County, Durham County, the City of Durham and the Town of Chapel Hill to jointly purchase nearly 100 acres known as Erwin Trace and preserve the acreage as parkland for future generations to enjoy. Bill has been a strong voice in the region for housing equity, and has collaborated on affordable housing policy initiatives through the Triangle J Council of Governments.

This fall, Bill saw first-hand the importance of regional planning and cooperation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when he and his wife Jennifer, a journalist at The Independent Weekly, spent a week volunteering with the animal rescue effort along the Gulf Coast."

Leadership Triangle was established in 1992 to educate and promote regionalism across the separate communities of the Triangle. The Goodmon Awards are named for named for James F. Goodmon, Chairman and CEO of Capital Broadcasting Company, a passionate supporter of regional activities and initiatives.

Others to be honored at the December 8th ceremony in Durham include: Father David McBriar, Child Care Services President Sue Russell, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Co-founder and Executive Director Jill Staton Bullard.

TTA is a regional public transportation provider, offering a wide variety of transit and vanpool services to North Carolina's greater Triangle Region and outlying counties. Bus service is available to Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, RDU International    Airport, Research Triangle Park (RTP) and Raleigh. The Triangle Transit Authority provides commuter resources and hosts GoTriangle.org, the on-line resource for public transportation information in the Triangle and ShareTheRideNC.com, the statewide rideshare matching service.

TTA plans to implement a 28-mile rail transit system with 12 stations connecting Durham, RTP, Cary and Raleigh, with shuttles linking RDU International Airport and RTP. The rail transit system is expected to be operational in 2009. For more information, visit www.rideTTA.org or call (919) 549-9999.