Expanding Access: Leveraging Strategic Partnerships and Funding toward Transportation Options

Andrew J. Baca leads daily operations and fleet maintenance for Santa Fe’s Transit Division, overseeing fixed-route buses, Santa Fe Ride paratransit, the Santa Fe Pickup circulator, and micro transit. Since September 2024, he has driven system reliability, safety, and customer experience improvements—implementing the CDL driver tiered pay system, deploying TripMaster/Passio software, rolling out MDT/GPS technology, launching PassioGo, and reestablishing the Transit Advisory Board. Andrew also orchestrated high-performing special event service, including record-efficient Zozobra operations, and is advancing fare modernization, live-feed camera integrations with SFPD, and facility security upgrades. He previously served as Transit Dispatch Supervisor (2021–2024) and led medical operations at Albuquerque National Dragway (2008–2021).

As Director of Finance & Administration for the City of Santa Fe’s Transit Division, Gabrielle Chavez is responsible for end-to-end financial stewardship and administrative strategy. She manages operating and capital budgets; develops funding plans and grant compliance across federal and state programs (including FTA 5307/5339/5310); and leads procurement, contracting, reporting, and audit coordination. Working across departments, Gabrielle aligns fiscal resources with operational priorities—supporting technology deployments like TripMaster/Passio and PassioGo, fare system modernization, live-feed safety camera integrations, and facility security upgrades. She advances multi-year fleet replacement and specialty vehicle acquisitions (including ADA and shuttle units), ensuring that investments improve reliability, accessibility, and value for taxpayers. With a focus on transparency, compliance, and measurable outcomes, Gabrielle enables the Division to deliver safe, equitable mobility and meet the expectations of residents, City leadership, and funding partners.

Christina Espinosa is the Division Director of Community Education for UK-HDI and a nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. For more than 14 years, she has been working in assistive technology, accessibility, home modification, and universal design. Ms. Espinosa is the Project Director for the UK-HDI Center for Assistive Technology Services (CATS), funded through the Assistive Technology Act, and Co-PI of the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment contract with Wisconsin. She served on the AUCD Project Advisory Committee from 2013-2015 and has Chaired HDI’s Disability Equity and Inclusion Committee since 2014. She has served as vice chair for Lexington’s Center for Independent Living since 2017, and vice president of Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Mayor’s Commission for People with Disabilities since 2018.

Stuart Rumrill is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a research evaluation specialist for the Illinois Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) project. His work activities include research development and dissemination surrounding career development and work and well-being for people with disabilities, co-facilitating a national apprenticeship learning community, and working closely with the Illinois Department of Human Services and other state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to provide trainings and intensive technical assistance.

Previously, Stuart worked as a return-to-work specialist for the University of Kentucky, research assistant and teaching instructor/assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, research consultant at Kent State University, academic coach at the University of Arkansas, and vocational specialist at VocWorks Inc., in northeast Ohio. His work specializes in serving people with brain tumor, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and traumatic brain injury. Stuart also currently works as a vocational consultant for Vocational Consulting Services, where he conducts vocational evaluations and provides recommendations to young adults with brain tumors. He is also a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.