A leader is someone who raises their hand. Someone who, despite adversity, says “Yes” to opportunity, to tackling hard things, to adapting and overcoming, to seeing solutions and implementing them.  True leaders lead because it is simply part of who they are. They do when others say they can't. They prove naysayers wrong.

To discuss raising your hand, I (Kyle) talked with Inez Evans, the President and CEO of IndyGo. Inez related thriving and leading regardless of difficulties, the necessity of integrity, focusing on solutions rather than problems, managing from the floor, and much more. She also shared some of her personal experiences that shaped her commitment, her focus, and how she learned to persevere even more by working together.

“Don’t take no for an answer… If I allowed people to tell me ‘No, you can't’, I would not be here today.” -- Inez Evans

What You’ll Learn

• Raising your hand
• Proving naysayers wrong
• Standing by what you say
• Being solution bound
• Caring for others to de-stress
• Pillaging awesome employees
• Managing from the floor
• Persevering together

Recommended ResourcesConnect with Inez Evans

Inez is the President and CEO of IndyGo – Marion County, Indiana’s metropolitan transportation company. Selected in summer 2019, she became the first minority woman President and CEO for the transit agency, managing an agency of more than 800 employees, with a fleet of more than 200 vehicles, averaging 9 million trips annually. 

Inez has ushered in IndyGo’s first all-electric bus rapid transit line, recruited emerging leaders to the executive team, maintained and innovated service during a pandemic, developed and executed the purchase of a new headquarter location to meet the growing needs of the agency, put new vehicles into service (moving IndyGo towards its clean fleet goals), enforced vendor accountability, enhanced improvements with paratransit services, and championed diversity and workforce development within the agency. 

With more than 25 years of experience, Inez’s career has been rooted in her ability to build and nurture relationships, bring communities together, and affect organizational change. Before joining IndyGo, she began her career in customer service and most recently was the Chief Operating Officer for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). 

Inez serves on the Indianapolis Arts Council board of directors and on their diversity and inclusion committee, as well as being appointed by Mayor Hogsett to the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee board of directors in 2019. As the co-chair for the American Heart Association’s Circle for Red Committee, she is able to champion heart health to her community. She also serves as a board member for American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and committee member for Leadership APTA, a program that grooms transit professionals aspiring to become leaders within their organizations.

In 2021, Inez was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Miz CEO, a local institution focused on uplifting women in the community. She is a mother of four boys, a native of Texas, and in her free time, she enjoys singing and gardening.

Website: indygo.net 

Linkedin - Inez Evans 

Linkedin - IndyGo