Welcome to Rolling Rural: A Podcast from the Illinois Rural Transit Assistance Center. We are part of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. This podcast is made possible with funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation. We tell the stories of thepeople behind rural transit, featuring interviews with leaders and frontline professionals working to connect communities across rural Illinois.Our guest today, Adam Lach, is currently the C.E.O for Rides Mass Transit District. Adam has been a member of the Rides’ team since 2013, where he started in procurement before moving into operations. Adam graduated from Vandalia High school, then attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he earned his MBA. Adam also chairs the Rural TransitAssistance Center’s Advisory Council, is on the Illinois Public Transportation Association’s Board of Directors as the IPTA Grant Recipient and Director. In short, Adam brings a wealth of local transit experience and knowledge to this conversation.

In our first episode host John Bannon introduces us to Dr. Christopher Merrett, Director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs and Dean of Economic Development and Innovation at Western Illinois University. Dr. Merritt has a PhD in geography from the University of Iowa and has authored or collaborated on more than 100 publications in the area of rural community and economic development.

We discuss trends in rural transit and economic development, as well as what can rural transit agencies and grantees do to thrive and survive moving forward.