Citizens for Modern Transit celebrated five individuals as “Champions of Transit” at its 41st Annual Meeting in downtown St. Louis on Sept. 19, highlighting leadership in regional transportation.
ST. LOUIS. Mo. (Sept. 30, 2025) … Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) – the region’s transit advocacy organization – recognized five “Champions of Transit” at its 41st Annual Meeting, held in downtown St. Louis on Sept. 19. During the event, CMT presented the 2025 Chairman’s Award to Missouri Senators Tracy McCreery and Karla May and the 2025 Service Awards to the Director of Facilities and Maintenance for St. Clair County Transit District Tony Erwin, Former St. Louis AARP Community Outreach Director Sheila Holm and Former Executive Director of Metro Transit Chuck Stewart. CMT’s “Champions of Transit” awards are given on an annual basis and designed to celebrate the efforts of organizations, municipalities and individuals advocating for a safe and effective transit system in the St. Louis region.
Senators McCreery and May were honored with the 2025 Chairman’s Awardfor proactively and tirelessly advocating for public transit this past year. This included being part of a more than three-hour filibuster to stop legislation that would have allowed individuals with concealed carry permits to carry firearms on public transit buses, trains, vans and other spaces owned or operated by public transportation providers. Both were also vocal supporters of public transit investment and stood up – both figuratively and literally – on the senate floor to educate their peers and champion transit. Their leadership has served as a true testament to their commitment to public transit accessibility.
The three individuals recognized with 2025 Service Awards have spent many years furthering transit throughout the St. Louis region. These include:
Erwin of St. Clair County Transit District who is an unsung hero when it comes to his partnership with CMT. He has been instrumental in ensuring the success of Transit Stop Transformation Projects in both Illinois and Missouri. He is also a “go-to guy” with an unmatched commitment to furthering the local transit system. He is consistently going above and beyond as it relates to capital projects, overseeing the MetroBikeLink System of trails and ensuring access to the bus, train and paratransit and on-demand services.
Stewart, whose leadership played a pivotal role in overcoming many challenges during his 14-year tenure with Bi-State Development/Metro Transit. He was credited with growing transit ridership post-Covid and rebuilding the operator workforce through increased employee benefits and sign-on bonuses. Stewart was also responsible for the complete renovation of the Call-A-Ride system, resulting in a 40% increase in service and zero denials. He was a steady force, dedicated to the community and always finding a way to make things work.
Holm of AARP in St. Louis, has been a CMT board member for well over a decade. Her efforts epitomize what it means to champion public transit even if you don’t work in the industry. She helped spark a number of CMT initiatives including Transit Stop Transformations and The Story of a Bench program. She recognizes the importance of public transit for people of all ages and helped CMT educate, build support and introduce new riders to the system.
“It is our honor to honor these true champions of public transit,” commented Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “Each award recipient is to be commended for their tireless commitment to public transit.”
For more information about Citizens for Modern Transit and it work to further public transit accessibility, visit www.cmt-stl.org or call (314) 231-7272.
About Citizens for Modern Transit
Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is the St. Louis region’s transit advocacy organization. Established in 1985 to help bring light rail to St. Louis, CMT’s mission is focused on championing, challenging, encouraging and advocating for public transit in an effort to drive economic growth and improve quality of life. To help support this mission, the organization works to develop ridership programming, transform spaces around transit stops, help secure local and federal transit funding, serve as a strong and effective voice on transit-related issues and opportunities, and ensure safe, convenient, user-friendly and affordable access to the area’s integrated public transportation system. To learn more, visit www.CMT-STL.org or follow the organization on Facebook, X, Instagram or LinkedIn.
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