Who He Is: Transportation Chief Gave Klein served under District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty as the head of the District's Department of Transportation beginning in 2008. Fenty was defeated in the 2010 election and Klein was replaced. In 2002 he served as Regional Vice President of Zipcar for the D.C. region. He developed and grew the car sharing program in the city. He has also worked previously at ProfessionaLink, a consulting firm where he led the marketing and business development team. He worked for a period of time for Bikes USA and expanded their brand into Southern Florida.
City Salary: $169,500
Goals: Klein’s tenure in the District Department of Transportation ushered in a period of “potholepalooza” where the city attempted to remedy all reported potholes within 48 hours of the report of existence. His love of cycling also coincides with Emanuel’s pledge to create 100 new miles of bike lanes during his 4 years as mayor.
Challenges: Klein will need to compete with other departments for funding for projects that some may believe are not worth it during a time where the city is under such a tight budget crunch. His experience in government is limited to a mere two years in D.C. so he will need to learn the ropes of Chicago politics before he can advocate for meaningful change.
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