The Authority has named Aryn Schlichting as People and Culture director and Lance Trujillo as Innovation and IT director
AVON—The Eagle Valley Transportation Authority (EVTA) announced the hiring of the people and culture and IT directors, two key positions critical to EVTA’s organizational management and leadership. Aryn Schlichting is the authority’s Director of People and Culture, filling the human resources position that will allow EVTA to continue efforts to build both its management and operations teams. Lance Trujillo is the Director of Innovation and IT, tasked with the key technological issues that will connect EVTA’s future services to its riders.
Schlichting will be a critical part of the upcoming transition of ECO Transit from Eagle County to the EVTA. Schlichting previously was the Deputy HR Director for Eagle County government, where she worked directly with ECO Transit and its employees.
“My passion is helping every EVTA employee connect with the impact of their work. Every passenger we transport represents a step toward fighting climate change, creating a healthier community, and a happier life for everyone in Eagle County,” Schlichting said. “Together we are driving positive change, one ride at a time. And as we build this transformative new transit system, I'm excited to ensure it supports not only our growing community and workforce but also our families.”
As Eagle County deputy director of human resources, Schlichting was responsible for HR Operations, employee relations, talent acquisition, benefits and compensation, and staff leadership and development. She managed a team of four HR professionals to support more than 500 employees. Schlichting was a leader of the county’s Equity Committee, assisting Eagle County to move equity,
diversity and inclusion along in an organized and impactful way.
“First and foremost, EVTA is about people, and Aryn understands the importance of building a great workforce that our local riders and visitors can count on. At EVTA, she will continue her commitment to our community by helping build a culture that makes EVTA the most desirable employer in Eagle County,” said Scott Robinson, EVTA’s deputy director.
Previous to Eagle County, Schlichting served as a senior human resource professional with the Town of Vail, founder and chief strategist of Mountain Careers in Vail, and as a human resources manager for Vail Resorts. Schlichting has called the Vail Valley home for 20 years. She was born and raised in downtown Chicago, but despite being a city girl at heart, she has fallen in love with the mountain lifestyle and the amazing community in Eagle County. Schlichting is married to her bike-loving husband, Brady, and together they are raising two children, Liam (12) the hockey guy and Grier (9) the artist.
Lance Trujillo will oversee EVTA’s IT needs, including technology used on buses, within the office and with the broader community to connect riders with transportation. Prior to joining EVTA, Trujillo was the Transit Technology and Innovation Manager for ECO Transit. In that role, he managed the ITS projects from procurement to installation and support; established team priorities, maintained schedules and monitored performance; created and managed a cellular network with onboard bus routers; used data and analytics to help build transit schedules and improve operations; and implemented new technologies to improve operations processes and provide better services to operations.
“I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work as EVTA’s fourth official employee,” Trujillo said. “I will be focusing on the transition of our transit technologies from Eagle County government while innovating our systems based on my 15 years of experience in transit technology.”
Trujillo has lived in Eagle County most of his life. In his free time, he spends time with his family, which includes his wife, Nicole, and their two daughters, Olivia and Penelope. They love camping, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling and sports.
“There is not a more qualified person for this position than Lance,” EVTA’s Robinson said. “As we get ready to bring ECO Transit over to EVTA, technology is going to be critical to making that effort seamless and smooth. Technology is part of almost everything we do, from how our employees interact and help run the transit system to how drivers and riders interface on the routes. Lance is ready to dream big and innovate to help make our future transportation services a world-class operation.”