LaShonda McKinney

So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.—Isaiah 41:10… is one of the core principles that have influenced her career path.

 Charged with executive level responsibilities for one of the leading transportation organizations in Mississippi, she credits a remarkable staff and relationships with modal stakeholders with helping to raise the visibility and impact of public transportation in Mississippi. Major areas of responsibility include: implementing a strategic planning approach for assessing needs, analyzing economic impacts and developing informed investment decisions in rural Mississippi counties.

LaShonda McKinney serves as the Executive Director of Bolivar County Council on Aging, Inc. (BCCOA). She has a strong passion for public transit. Lashonda is certified as a community transit manager by the Community Transportation Association of America and serves on various committees with the Mississippi Public Transit Association. With Bolivar County Council on Aging, she has been able to transform a 5 vehicle demand responsive transit system serving a limited number of communities to a 60 vehicle, 35 employee daily service system which serves destinations as far as Memphis, TN and Jackson, MS. Lashonda has managed BCCOA's transit operations for twenty years in various capacities, during which she has developed a new marketing brand, logo, paint scheme, and an advertising plan. She has been employed for 24 years at Bolivar County Council on Aging, Inc.

LaShonda is a certified Drug and Alcohol Program Manager. She is a 2018 graduate of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) 1st Emerging Leaders Academy. She served as a member on former Attorney General Jim Hood Mental Health Task Force. She is a member of the Mississippi Public Transit Association (MPTA) Board of Directors. She was named The MPTA Transit Manager of the Year in 2012. She is a member of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of Bolivar County Leadership Academy. In addition, her greatest achievement was being selected as the MPTA Charles R. Carr Leadership recipient in 2018.