Robert Burlie, Manager of Road Operations, City of Toronto Transportation Services Division ascends to OGRA Presidency

TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2015 /CNW/ - On February 24, 2016, the Ontario Good Roads Association elected its Board of Directors for the 2016/17 term with Robert Burlie, Manager of Road Operations, Toronto & East York District, City of Toronto being elected President. The last time someone from the City of Toronto was president of OGRA was Leonard Rach in 1994 who worked with the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. In his speech to the membership, Mr. Burlie promised to continue to advocate on behalf of all Ontario's 444 municipalities in the area of asset management and revenue tools.

Since 2010, Robert has sat on the OGRA Board of Directors and in that time has served as the Vice Chair of the Policy Committee and a former Member of the OPS Pavement Committee serving for 22 years from 1992 to 2014. He is also heavily involved with the 2015 Minimum Maintenance Standards (MMS) Task Force Member 2nd year review, as well was a member of the 2013 MMS Review Task Force Committee and the 2010 review.

Rob brings 30 years of experience with the City of Toronto & former Metropolitan Toronto and is a strong advocate for Complete streets making them accessible for all users including the physically challenged, Seniors, cyclists, pedestrians & transit. Rob also has a keen interest in helping the Aboriginal and Indigenous people of Ontario and getting the Ontario Provincial Standards back on track to assisting all municipalities with consistent standards. Rob is also excited about autonomous vehicles and how our highways and roadways in both urban centres and rural areas will adapt to this new technology as well as attracting young people to the profession of road and bridge building including the ever-emerging operations & maintenance.

The Board of Directors provide policy guidance and leadership to the OGRA staff and fiscal oversight of OGRA activities.

The mandate of the Ontario Good Roads Association is to represent the infrastructure interests of Ontario's 444 municipalities through advocacy, consultation, training and the delivery of identified services. For more information, please visit ogra.org.

SOURCE Ontario Good Roads Association

Colette Caruso, Communications and Marketing, Ontario Good Roads Association, 905-541-7988, [email protected]