Staff

Allen Atkins joined METRO in September 2014 as the METRO Streetcar line supervisor. As line supervisor, Atkins is responsible for ensuring the safe operation of the streetcar system, assisting streetcar operators and the METRO Streetcar manager, and operating the streetcar when needed. Atkins is a member of the American Legion and the Cimmaron County Historical Society.

Justin Avery, CPA, chief financial officer, joined Rock Region METRO in December 2012. He is responsible for financial and administrative aspects of the agency, including accounting, budgeting, grants management and federal financial reporting requirements, as well as managing human and compliance with equal employment opportunity laws. He graduated with a master’s degree in accounting from Hendrix College and is a graduate of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXIII.

Llpyd Barnum joined METRO in January 2009 as a METRO service supervisor. As one of five bus supervisors, Barnum is responsible for ensuring all METRO riders adhere to the METRO Code of Conduct and assisting riders with bus connections and METRO bus operators with day-to-day route incidents. Barnum is a member of the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist deacons board and outreach ministry.

Tim Bisbee, director of maintenance, joined the Rock Region METRO team in August 2019, returning to lead the agency’s maintenance department after serving METRO for 20 years as a Class A Mechanic. He is responsible for managing a department of 34 employees and overseeing day-to-day management of maintenance and parts projects for the agency, including OSHA compliance. Bisbee is a University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology.

John Bohannon joined METRO in July 2018. He is the METRO fixed route manager and is responsible for overseeing all fixed route operations and employees, including fixed route operators, dispatchers and service supervisors.

Donna Bowers, chief operating officer, joined the Rock Region METRO team in September 2014. She is responsible for managing a department of 150+ employees and overseeing day-to-day logistics and operations projects for the agency. Bowers served six years at Denton County Transportation Authority in multiple roles including operations manager, where she managed the implementation of several major projects, including DCTA’s intelligent transportation system (real-time arrival information system) and provided support for the design, construction, and operations phases for of the agency’s $320 million A-train commuter rail project. She is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas.

VeLois Bowers, METRO chief of staff, joined the agency in October 2020. Bowers is principal consultant of VHB Diversity & Inclusion Consulting Firm, whose clients include T. Rowe Price, RIOT Games, Applied Materials, St. Vincent Health, Common Spirit Health and Morehouse General Hospital, among others. Previously, she served as corporate senior director for diversity and inclusion at CHRISTUS Health of Dallas, an international Catholic and faith-based health system comprising almost 350 services and facilities and 30,000 employees. There, Bowers led the development and implementation of short- and long-term strategies, plans and programs within CHRISTUS Health’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work plan. Bowers also served as senior vice president at Trinity Health, vice president of diversity and inclusion at the Kellogg Company and vice president of global diversity at the Whirlpool Corporation. Prior to her time at Whirlpool, Bowers held several human resources roles within Kellogg, where she served as director for staffing, employee relations and diversity. She served in varying human resource leadership roles at Western Michigan University for seven years. Bowers has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a certificate in diversity management from Georgetown University. She has participated in numerous leadership development courses throughout her career, including the Aspen Institute for Young Executives. Bowers is a member of several boards and professional organizations including the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, the NAACP (lifetime member), the UAPB/AM&N National Alumni Association (president and lifetime member), the American Leadership Council for Diversity and Inclusion (past chairwoman), the National Association of Health Service Executives (former executive committee member), the Berrien County Community Foundation (former board member), the Whirlpool Corporation Community Foundation (former board member), Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (lifetime member). Bowers has presented several workshops, taught courses and delivered speeches to numerous groups, including students attending Notre Dame University; Hampton University; the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff; Andrews University and Northern Caribbean University. She is an active alumnus of UAPB, having participated on campus in various volunteer roles for more than 25 years, including the long-standing Career Service Program YMTF (Youth Motivation Taskforce). Bowers has been featured as one of the top Influential Diversity Leaders in America.

Adrienne Collins, president of AC Productions LLC, is a professional with 20+ years of human resource management experience, the last 17 years of which have been in the armed forces, non profits and telecommunications. She holds master’s degrees in management information technology and business administration from Webster University and bachelor’s degrees in criminology, Spanish and sociology from Arkansas State University. Collins is studying to be a certified professional coach from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. She enjoys spending her limited free time doing community service, including serving on multiple boards, and engaging in charity work for the City of Little Rock. As a current class member of Leadership Greater Little Rock, Class XXXV, Collins also serves a Board of Governors member for the Little Rock Zoo.

Charles D. Frazier, Rock Region METRO chief executive officer, joined the organization in June 2018 and is responsible for the oversight of the agency, including providing strategic vision and guidance, serving as an effective transit advocate within the greater community and exercising strong fiscal management in service of METRO’s mission to provide safe, reliable, convenient and cost-effective public transit to central Arkansas. Prior to joining METRO, Frazier worked for Palm Beach County, Florida for 17 years, including serving more than six years as assistant executive director/director of support services for Palm Tran, Inc., Palm Beach County’s bus system. Frazier is among a select group of individuals nationwide who participated in the American Public Transportation Association’s Leadership Class of 2018. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington and former president of Leadership Palm Beach County, a nonprofit organization.

Becca Green, APR, Rock Region METRO director of public engagement, joined the organization in July 2015 and is responsible for strategic planning, public relations, collateral and content development, governmental affairs, media buying, website and social media management, community outreach and more. Prior to her current role, Green served six years as director of marketing and communications at ACCESS, a Little Rock-based nonprofit serving individuals with learning and developmental disabilities. She managed several hospitality industry accounts and media relations for Gov. Mike Beebe’s inauguration at the Little Rock-based communications firm CJRW. Green served two years as director of marketing and public relations at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas’ largest and oldest professional regional theater. She has been a member of the Public Relations Society of America since 2005 and served as the 2016 president for the Arkansas chapter. She is a graduate of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXX.

Sharon Hill joined METRO in April 1994. She is the METRO Links paratransit manager and is responsible for all operations in the paratransit department, including hiring and training new employees and managing customer service issues. Hill also leads the METRO Mobility Advisory Council.

Raymond Jones joined METRO in April 2007 as a bus operator. In 2013, he was promoted to METRO service supervisor; in 2018, he was promoted to lead supervisor; and in 2019, he was promoted to River Cities Travel Center manager. As the travel center manager, Jones is responsible for managing daily bus service operation at the travel center, monitoring safety and security protocols and serving as the main METRO vendor liaison at the travel center.

Felita Keith, operations risk manager, joined METRO in July 2013 as a bus operator. In 2014, she was promoted to dispatcher, and in 2019, she was promoted to METRO operations risk manager. In that role, Keith is responsible for monitoring and controlling the scheduling, training and data management activities of all METRO operations teams, as well as responding to and entering all incident reports. In her spare time, Keith enjoys spending time with family and traveling.

Joe Procop, Rock Region METRO chief safety officer and special projects director, joined the organization in July 2007 and is responsible for all agency safety plan management and facilities asset management. Procop is a University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He is a member of NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement and has served as a board member of the NIGP Arkansas Chapter since 2017.

Stephen Smith joined METRO in February 2015 as a METRO Streetcar operator. In 2020, Smith was promoted to METRO streetcar manager and is responsible for overseeing day-to-day streetcar operations and managing a staff of seven streetcar operators. In addition to his duties as METRO streetcar manager, Smith is a member of the METRO Employee Advisory Committee. He also serves as a volunteer at the Heifer Project.

Wilson Vaughn joined METRO in March 1995 as a bus operator. In 2007, he was promoted to METRO service supervisor. As one of five bus supervisors, Vaughn is responsible for responding to bus accidents, setting detours for alternative routes and assisting passengers with their connections.

Allen Washington joined METRO in March 2006 as a METRO service supervisor. In this role, Washington is responsible for ensuring all METRO routes stay on time and that day-to-day operational issues are effectively addressed. In his spare time, Washington works with the Berean Baptist Church in the Dixie Addition of North Little Rock.

Greg Williamson, METRO director of administrative services, is responsible for human resources, information and communication technology and risk management. Prior to his role at METRO, Williamson served as the director of human resources for international engineering and architecture firm HDR and for national engineering and construction firms Bernhard TME and Bernhard Energy. Williamson began his professional career with 18 progressive years at AT&T, achieving a director level in corporate human resources, followed by nine years as vice president of corporate services at Mission City Management Inc., an equity capital and management firm in San Antonio, Texas. In that role he supported the growth of the company through merger/acquisition with strategic HR, IT and risk initiatives. Throughout his career, Williamson has been a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, and he has achieved certifications as a senior professional in human resources, and as a SHRM – Senior Certified Professional. Williamson is a graduate of the University of Houston, with a bachelor’s degree in technology, and of Southern Methodist University, where he earned a master’s degree in business administration.