CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker appointed Bashir Qaasim, Nedra Sims Fears, Nirali Shah, Rosa Ortiz, and Vanessa Uribe to serve on the newly established Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Board. The Governor also reappointed Neema Jha to serve on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Board. All appointments are subject to approval by the Illinois State Senate.
“The newly created NITA Board is charged with delivering transformative reform and investments for our public transit system that serves more than 1.3 million daily riders,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “My board members will play a critical role in modernizing Illinois’ transit systems so we can continue to strengthen operations, make necessary upgrades, and better connect communities across our state. I am proud to appoint highly qualified, dedicated Illinoisans who will help advance this important work.”
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Created under the historic transit reform package signed by Governor Pritzker in December 2025, NITA will replace the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and will oversee CTA, Metra, and Pace. The new authority is charged with improving regional coordination, integrating fares and service, strengthening public safety and accessibility, and ensuring public resources are used effectively. The law paired these governance reforms with significant new operating and capital funding for public transportation in northeastern Illinois and across the state, averting potentially devastating service cuts without raising broad based state taxes on Illinois taxpayers – all while laying the foundation for a world–class transit system that better serves riders.
Illinois leads the nation in permanently solving transit’s funding challenges and NITA serves as a blueprint for other legacy large systems across the country.
Together, the Governor’s slate of appointees bring experience spanning transit governance, urban planning, technology, economic development, and organizational leadership. Their appointments will help ensure NITA begins its work with a strong understanding of both the region’s transportation needs and the communities the system serves.
Unlike the old RTA Board, many NITA Board members will also serve on the Boards of CTA, Metra, or Pace, including three of the Governor’s appointees. These cross-appointments will serve as full members of each board and will promote cooperation and alignment between NITA and the Service Boards.
The Governor’s appointees to the NITA and other transit boards are as follows:
- Bashir Qaasim (NITA, Metra) is Vice President at The Whole Group where he advises large organizations through transformation, with a focus on integrating fragmented technology systems. He previously held senior roles at Aforza and Accenture advising on technology, customer success, and organizational strategy. Qaasim earned a bachelor’s degree from the Computing and Digital Media school at DePaul University and serves on the NAMI Chicago Board of Directors. Qaasim will also serve on the Metra Board.
- Nedra Sims Fears (NITA, CTA) is the Executive Director of The Greater Chatham Initiative, where she leads efforts to promote neighborhood investment and economic growth on Chicago’s South Side. She previously worked in mortgage banking and community development finance with Fannie Mae, the City of Chicago, and the Community Investment Corporation. Fears holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from Cornell University. She was also a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and previously served on the Metropolitan Planning Council Board. Fears will also serve on the CTA Board.
- Nirali Shah (NITA) is Senior Director of Procurement and Culture, Impact, and Opportunity at the Obama Foundation, where she oversaw procurement for several aspects of the construction of the Obama Presidential Center. She previously served as Director of Procurement at McDermott Will & Schulte and held procurement, contract administration, and compliance positions at the CTA. Shah earned her law degree from Marquette University Law School and bachelor’s degree in psychology and speech communications from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Rosa Ortiz (NITA, Pace) is an urban planner and the principal and founder of 3e. Studio. She previously served as Managing Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Housing and held leadership positions with Enterprise Community Partners, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation. Ortiz holds a master’s degree in urban planning and policy and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Illinois Chicago. She has served on the CTA Board since 2021. In this appointment, she will serve on the Pace Board as well as the NITA Board.
- Vanessa Uribe (NITA) is Associate Vice President for People and Operations at The Chicago Community Trust. She previously served as Chief Deputy in the Illinois Secretary of State’s Executive Office and as Chief of Staff and Deputy Director of the Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Uribe also held economic development and policy roles with Cook County and UnidosUS. She earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois Chicago and is a graduate of the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy.
- Neema Jha (CTA) is a Director at Charles River Associates (CRA), where she leads the firm’s practice advising large organizations on technology infrastructure modernization. She previously served as a Senior Practice Leader at AWS Professional Services and as Director of Technology, Strategy, and Management at Tribune Media Company. She has served on the CTA Board since 2022.
The new NITA Board will hold its first meeting in September to formally kick off critical aspects of the transition process, ranging from setting up new governance structures, advancing regional equitable fare programs, to developing a first true regional operating and capital budget that can deliver for the taxpayers and grow transit ridership and the regional economy across the six-county region.
