We’re rounding out Pride Month by highlighting Senior Planner and the head of our Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG), Jacob Labutka.  

 

When Jacob joined the PSTA team, he saw his role at PSTA as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact within the community through innovative projects, and that is exactly what he’s done. As a senior planner, Jacob performs administrative and supervisory work for PSTA’s Planning department. He is responsible for conducting studies, collecting and analyzing data for application to PSTA’s comprehensive transit plan, managing innovative mobility projects, and trip planning app improvements. He currently serves as the project manager for our autonomous vehicle pilot program, lovingly known as AVA, which introduces the cutting-edge technology of autonomous vehicles to Pinellas County as a temporary member of PSTA’s fleet. 

 

In this video, you’ll hear firsthand stories about Jacob’s budding passion for public transportation, what it’s like working at PSTA, and how our unique work culture has helped him through his toughest times and grow into his own.

 

 

Jacob recently had the honor of participating in and graduating from the American Public Transportation Association’s Emerging Leaders Program, in which he and a cohort of other transportation industry professionals explored ways to expand their careers and their impact on the communities they serve. He has become an exceptional employee and role model to those within the organization. 

 

Outside of his job description, Jacob plays a key role in helping shape PSTA’s culture as one of the leaders of the Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG). The Pride ERG helps ensure a safe space for the LGBTQ+ employees and their allies, as well as extending PSTA’s mission into the community. He is extremely proud of PSTA’s partnership with St. Pete Pride and the harmony created between both organizations throughout the year, most specifically during St. Pete Pride’s largest event, the Pride Parade. In 2022, St. Pete Pride held its first in-person parade since the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. As the official transportation sponsor of St. Pete Pride, PSTA provided a free park-and-ride lot and fare-free rides for the entire county in support of St. Pete Pride’s inclusive events.  

 

PSTA’s mission is to be the people’s first choice for transportation and a driving force for social, environmental, and economic vitality in the community through innovation and partnership - all of which, Jacob so graciously embodies. Stay tuned as we continue to share stories about the many amazing employees like Jacob who shape PSTA.