Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens was elected by representatives of the 10 cities of Orange County’s Fifth Supervisorial District to serve as a Director on the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors.

“I am honored to be elected to this important position by my peers,” Mayor Stephens said. “Transportation, including public transit, is a critical issue for District 5 and the entire county, especially as our population ages and the expense of owning and operating a car increases. I look forward to working with my fellow Directors to increase bus routes and ridership and to improve our freeways, streets and roads.”

This appointment is for a two-year term that will begin Jan. 1, 2024.

The Orange County Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors consists of 18 members. The OCTA Board is responsible for the coordination of a number of transit services, approval of plans for public mass transit (bus and rail) systems and working on all transportation capital and service priorities.

The OCTA board is also in charge of the administration of the County’s voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation to capital project delivery related to freeway improvements, local street, and road improvements and rail and transit service countywide.

Stephens has served as Costa Mesa’s Mayor since March 2021 and was elected to a two-year term as Mayor of Costa Mesa in November of 2022. Prior to becoming Mayor, Stephens was elected to the Costa Mesa City Council in 2016, and served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2018 to 2020.

Stephens earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Cal Poly Pomona and a law degree from the UC Davis Law School. He has been a practicing trial attorney In Orange County for 34 years, and currently is a partner with the Costa Mesa law firm, Stephens Friedland, LLP.