FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2025
CONTACT
Kate Mason
[email protected]
(615) 419-5185
Berkeley, CA – The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) proudly announces that Niki Rinaldi El-Abd, Senior Managing Consultant and head of CTE’s Berkeley, California office has been appointed to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning in 2025.
Ms. Rinaldi El-Abd was selected by APTA’s 2025 Nominating Committee, joining a distinguished group of public and private sector leaders who will help guide the association’s strategy, policy, and governance during a critical time for transit and clean energy integration.
At CTE, Ms. Rinaldi El-Abd supports transit agencies through complex zero-emission fleet transitions, infrastructure deployment, and grant strategy. Her work has directly supported more than 50 transit agencies with transition planning, procurement, and project execution—both in California and across the country.
Ms. Rinaldi El-Abd is also the primary author of the Zero-Emission Bus Transition Planning Guidebook published by the National Transit Institute (NTI) and serves as a recurring instructor for the foundational “Zero-Emission Bus 101” course at CTE’s annual ZEB Conference. In California, she has been instrumental in guiding more than 10 agencies through the creation of CARB-compliant transition plans, helping agencies align local needs with state and federal policy requirements.
Notably, Ms. Rinaldi El-Abd currently leads CTE’s role in the ARCHES program, working alongside 13 transit subrecipients to deploy more than 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell buses and the corresponding fueling infrastructure throughout California. This massive undertaking bridges local operations with national hydrogen infrastructure efforts and is a model for equitable clean transit deployment. Her leadership and technical contributions position her to provide exceptional industry insight to APTA’s governance and policy setting.
“Niki’s appointment is reflective of her outstanding track record helping transit agencies across the country in their transition to cleaner, more efficient transit solutions,” said Dan Raudebaugh, CTE’s Executive Director. “We are thrilled she will now contribute her vision and experience at a national level with APTA.”
As a Business Member Director, she will collaborate with other directors and the Executive Committee—helping shape the association’s strategy and priorities for supporting public private engagement in the transportation sector. Directors serve three year terms and meet at least three times annually in person or virtually
Please join us in congratulating Niki Rinaldi El-Abd on her selection to the APTA Board. We look forward to her contributions in this vital leadership capacity and to furthering cleaner, more efficient transit across the country.
