Research Triangle Park, N.C. - William G. Smith has been elected Chairman of the

Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) Board of Trustees. Smith, who has served on the board since 1998, succeeds Anne S. Franklin. Board members also elected M. Carter Worthy of Raleigh, Vice-Chair; Alice Gordon of Orange County, Secretary and W. Lewis Hannah Jr., of Wake County, Treasurer. Officers serve one-year terms. Ten TTA board members are appointed by city, county and town boards in Durham, Orange and Wake Counties. Three members are appointed by the NC Secretary of Transportation.

"TTA has many successes it can be proud of," Smith said. "As TTA begins its second decade of service, my goal as Chairman will be to build continued support for public transit in the Triangle. TTA will continue to provide mobility choices, promote economic opportunities and protect the environment." Smith's first meeting as Chairman will be December 17, 2003.

Recognized by Dollars & Sense Magazine as one of "America's Best and Brightest", Smith has spent his career working in the banking industry and contributing to his community. Smith is President and Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Community Savings Bank Inc. SSB. Prior to his appointment to Mutual Community Savings Bank, Smith was a First Union/Wachovia executive for more than 23 years serving the Mid-Atlantic region, specializing in branch management, retail banking, consumer credit lending and community development lending.

Smith, a 2003 Eisenhower Fellow, is also Director of the North Carolina Banking Association, a member of the North Carolina Higher Education Bond Oversight Committee, 100 Black Men of America, board member of Downtown Durham, Inc., Carolina Theatre and the Forest at Duke and a former board member and Past Chairman of North Carolina Central University's Board of Trustees, past national president of the Urban Financial Services Coalition (former National Association of Urban Bankers) and the past national secretary of the National Bankers Association.

Also joining the TTA Board is Joe Bowser, Vice Chairman of the Durham County Commission and a resident of Durham for more than 30 years. Bowser holds degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration from North Carolina Central University and worked for 22 years with Norfolk Southern Railway. Bowser succeeds Ellen Reckhow on the board.

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, RTP and Raleigh. The Triangle Transit Authority also provides commuter resources and hosts GoTriangle.org, the new on line resource for the public transportation information in the Triangle. TTA plans to implement a 35 mile rail transit system with 16 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 late 2007 or early 2008. For more information, visit www.ridetta.org or call (919) 549 9999.