Board members used the retreat to work through longer‑term direction for the Chicago Transit Authority. After a “why” exercise where members described personal motivations for serving, the board proposed a working vision and discussed values and governance practices.

Directors settled on a working vision draft: “To be a globally recognized rapid mobility leader that excels in safety, reliability and accessibility.” The board framed that vision as the destination staff should use when proposing measurable success outcomes and asked staff to prioritize a short list of outcomes (for example: customer experience net promoter score, on‑time performance targets, accessibility milestones) rather than an undifferentiated long KPI list.

The board also debated values and how to make them operational. Several members urged that equity be emphasized and that values be translated into everyday behaviors tied to training and supervisory practices. Directors asked for an approach that defines the board’s expectations, clarifies boundaries between board oversight and management execution, and supports a regular monitoring cadence so performance is not reported only annually but tracked monthly or quarterly.

On governance best practices, external facilitators from Transpro Consulting reviewed a standard governance model: hire, align, monitor, evaluate. They counseled the board to give the president a single delegation for agency management while retaining clear, measurable success outcomes that the board will monitor on a defined cadence. Several directors emphasized the board’s ambassador role in the community but asked staff for guidance on communication boundaries so board outreach remains aligned with agency positions.

Vote and formal action: The retreat concluded with a motion to adjourn; the board approved the motion in a roll‑call vote. The motion was moved by Director Michael Eady and seconded by Director Michelle Lee (the transcript records the second as Michelle Meade/Michelle Lee in different spots; staff should verify the official minutes). The recorded yes votes on adjournment included Roberto Roquejo, Rosa Ortiz, Lester Barclay, Michelle Lee, Michael Eady and one other director present.

Ending: Directors asked staff to return with a concrete plan that links the agreed vision to three to five measurable success outcomes, and to present costed options (including staffing needs) for priority items such as TOD, customer‑experience pilots and security/cleaning investments. The board closed the retreat and convened an executive session later in the day.