Mallory Avis

I knew from a young age that I wanted to work in transportation one way or another, and I've had the opportunity to do that in different positions. From working in public school transportation at just 19 years old, to working at the State Department of Transportation, to my position now, my career path is exactly what I could have hoped for and has allowed me to experience it all! Today, I lead the Public Transit department in the city of Battle Creek where I've been for the last three years. At Battle Creek Transit we safely transport nearly 500,000 passengers each year and provide a connection to the community for those in need. 

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I love the opportunity to connect with my communities and to learn the stories of others around me, but most importantly I love knowing that what I do truly makes a difference in people's lives. In Battle Creek my team and I launched the region's first microtransit system, BCGo, which has connected nearly 10,000 passengers with their community in just over one year of operation. Hearing the stories about how this service has changed people's lives and their access to resources reminds me why we do what we do. For example, we have one passenger who uses our services who was previously homebound and hadn't been out of the house in over 18 months! Now she can connect with friends, socialize, and shop on her own! We did that – we made that difference in someone's life!