After working two jobs deejaying at a radio station and operating a bus for a decade, Demetairs Bell decided it was time to drop the microphone and focus on his Metro Transit career. 

With two children to support, he chose Metro Transit for job stability and the opportunity for advancement. After serving as an operator, he moved into roles as a relief instructor, acting Nicollet Garage coordinator and assistant manager of street operations. 

To advance in his career, Demetairs took as many Metro Transit management classes as he could and studied computer programming and applications on his own.   

nown as D-Bell, he retired in January 2026 with more than 33 years of service. “Outside of a couple of strikes, I have never not had a paycheck from the time I was 22 to 55,” Demetairs said. 

And what did he most appreciate about working for Metro Transit? “I would say witnessing an agency that walked a walk that they talked,” he said, noting this was especially true in the areas of diversity, strong leadership, and advancement opportunities.  

In retirement, Demetairs planned to work on a podcast about music, sports, and entertainment. He also looked forward to working with the Greater Twin Cities African American Hall of Fame recognizing past great athletes from the region.  

Daniel Abramowicz came to Metro Transit for the benefits. He stayed for love. “The best thing that came out of Metro Transit for me was my wife,” he said. 

Dan and his wife, Michelle Sommers, met while working at different garages in the early 1990s. What began as professional overlap turned into familiarity and then partnership, shaped by shared schedules and a mutual understanding of transit life. “We just clicked,” he said. “We got used to each other, had a lot of fun together, and we still do.” 

Before joining transit, Daniel drove a school bus, a job that introduced him to long days behind the wheel and the appeal of steady work. As friends and co-workers began making the move to Metro Transit, he followed. The benefits mattered, but the work itself quickly took hold. “I had a lot of fun for the first few weeks, then months, then years,” he said. 

Over the next two decades, Daniel worked out of nearly every garage in the system, building relationships across shifts, routes, and job titles. He spent about 20 years as an operator before stepping into a union representative role, advocating for coworkers and gaining a broader perspective on the organization. 

Later, he transitioned into a dispatcher position, remaining close to daily operations even as his driving days slowed. The role kept him connected to operators and the rhythm of the system, supporting service from behind the scenes. “I had a lot of fun with the people I worked with and got to know a lot of people over the years,” he said.,” he said. “I just don’t want to forget anyone.” 

For Daniel, retirement is not a clean break. Metro Transit remains a place he feels welcome, somewhere he can return to ride, visit, and reconnect. “I don’t think anyone’s ever really gone for good,” he said. 

Daniel retired in January 2026 after 33 years of service. In retirement, he looked forward to traveling, spending time with his dogs, and riding his motorcycle. 

Metro Transit not only shaped Soultar Allera-Beaumont's career but helped him shape the careers of others. But his path didn’t begin with an immediate hire. “I actually applied the first time with my dad,” Soultar said. “He wanted company during the process. He got hired. I didn’t.” 

Soultar applied again in 1993 and was hired. After a few years as bus operator, he became an instructor, a role that would define his career and others around him.  

Over the course of his 32-year career, Soultar instructed thousands of operators and mentored many others who would later become trainers themselves. He was among the original full-time trainers when the program launched in 2000 and retired as one of the last remaining from that group. “Everybody learns differently,” he said. “You figure that out fast when you’re training one-on-one.” 

That belief became central to his approach. Rather than asking students to conform to his style, Soultar adapted to theirs, focusing on confidence as much as competence. 

A strong work ethic ran in the family. Soultar’s father spent more than two decades with Metro Transit and later returned part-time after retirement. His example left a lasting impression. “He taught me how to be genuine and how to show up,” Soultar said. 

The organization’s benefits also became deeply personal. After his mother died of lung cancer in 1998, his father shared what he called a “gratitude box,” filled with medical bills totaling more than a million dollars, alongside a comparatively small out-of-pocket expense covered through benefits. The lesson stayed with him. 

Reflecting ahead of his January 2026 retirement, Soultar said he was confident the training program will continue to thrive. “The wheel keeps moving,” he said. 

In retirement, he and his wife planned to run a holistic business and to travel to Ireland, Africa and Australia. 

Diane Chavez gave up multiple jobs for a three-decade career at Metro Transit. Before joining Metro Transit full-time, she spent years juggling work as a hairdresser, a school bus driver, and as a part-time bus operator before realizing the pace was unsustainable. 

“I couldn’t keep doing all those jobs,” Diane said. “So, I let the others go and stayed with transit.” 

The decision proved life changing. The pay and benefits provided stability when she needed it most, but it was the work itself that kept her committed year after year. “I loved the job,” Diane said. 

Diane spent most of her time at South Garage. She also served on safety and peer support committees, remaining involved beyond her daily assignments and advocating for co-workers and riders alike. 

What defined Diane’s career most was her connection to riders. She learned names, routines, and destinations. She asked passengers for help when learning new routes, and learned greetings in multiple languages.

Some of those relationships extended beyond the bus. On one route, a group of riders invited her to community events after she announced she was leaving the line. On another, regular passengers celebrated her move to full-time work by taking her out to dinner. A group of Route 16 riders even welcomed her into their weekly breakfasts. 

“That respect comes back to you,” Diane said. “Treat people the way you want to be treated. Help when you can, and don’t assume the worst.” 

Diane retired in January 2026 with 34 years of service. In retirement, she planned to spend more time up north, travel during the winter, and stay active with animals and volunteer work. 

At Metro Transit, Ronald Williams not only found a good stable career he loved, but also the love of his life.

“I met my wife Alfreida on the bus, then showed up at her church as a guest preacher and I took her out for dinner,” Ron said. “The rest is history.”

Ron began his career with Metro Transit in 1992, encouraged by his father to become a bus operator. Starting at Heywood Garage, he soon transferred to Nicollet Garage, where he would spend the rest of his 33 years.

Like many new drivers, the transition wasn’t easy. But it didn't take long to learn the ropes and earn a 25-year safe driver award. 

“At first, I was scared of driving the bus. It seemed like I was driving a big room,” Ron admits. “But it doesn’t take long for it to become second nature.”

In the early years, Ron supplemented his income by driving a cab and shining shoes. But by 1996, he went full-time with Metro Transit, leaving behind those side jobs for a solid career with great benefits. His success even inspired two of his sisters, Roxanne and Cynthia, to follow in his footsteps as Metro Transit operators.

“At one point, we were all working together at Nicollet,” he said.

What kept Ron at Metro Transit for over three decades was the mission of the organization and his love for people.

“I knew my job wasn’t just about driving,” Ron said. “I was a pastor, a bartender, a shelter provider, and a PCA shuttle service all at once. The job is about service to people, and I always loved that.”

For those considering a career at Metro Transit, Ron highly recommends it.

“Working with Metro Transit is a million-dollar opportunity!” he said.

As he enters retirement, Ron plans to focus more on his faith, publish Christian songs, travel with his wife Alfreida, and spend quality time with family and friends. He also looks forward to pursuing artistic projects, including drawing a portrait of Alfreida, creating 3D artwork, and writing books.

Of all memories from his 36 years with Metro Transit, Senior Manager Revenue Collections Dennis Dworshak considers working with the blind community among his most rewarding. 

Dennis invited students and teachers from a Minneapolis school for the blind to visit Metro Transit’s offices to review fare collection equipment with them. “We let them tell us how we could serve them better. They told us what worked well for them and what didn’t,” Dennis said.  

Staff showed the students and teachers how to tap Go-To cards on validators, purchase from different types of ticket vending machines and make transactions online.  

“One powerful moment was when we told them they were all eligible for discounted mobility passes. They said, `Thank you for that offer, but we want to save that discount for somebody who really needs it. Just help us know how to pay our fares, and we will train other people in the blind community how to do that,’ ” he said. 

Being involved in the Leadership Academy as a mentor and working with interns also was very fulfilling. “We would take people from the organization who wanted to see what it was like to be in management. It was inspiring to see these candidates grow,” Dennis said. 

Metro Transit underwent a lot of changes during his tenure. When he joined, the name was Metropolitan Transit Commission, and transit police worked under Finance. The transit police chief, who reported to the Finance Division Director, interviewed Dennis for his first civilian job after finishing military duty. 

“I thought this would be a great start for me, just getting out of the military and doing public service,” he said. 

Still in the Army Reserves, Dennis left MTC to serve in Kuwait during Desert Storm. ``When I came back, I went to the police chief’s office, and he said he wasn’t my boss anymore. I was with Finance,” Dennis said. 

In retirement, Dennis plans to spend time helping his parents, who still live on the family farm, and his mother-in-law, doing more fine woodworking and volunteering with American Red Cross action teams to help people in emergencies, such as tornadoes or fires. 

“It’s gone very fast. I’ve been so blessed to work under great leaders, with outstanding co-workers, and hard-working first-rate employees.  I have no regrets at all,” Dennis said of his career. 

In college and looking for extra income, Christine Kuennen applied for a job in the Transit Information Center. With experience in telemarketing, she got the job, quickly moved into a trainer role, then became a supervisor in the Transit Control Center where she took on special projects that opened new doors.  

Those first few years were a sign of what was to come.  

Over the next three decades, Christine continually looked for opportunities to excel and take on additional responsibilities, relishing chances to be on the front end of new initiatives even when it meant going outside her comfort zone. 

After 33 years of service, she retired in April 2025 as the director of Bus Transportation. During her tenure, she also led the Metro Mobility program, initiated programs that directly engage operators in outreach and workforce development, championed wellness-focused training, and played a leading role in the opening of the METRO Green Line.  

A mother of five, Christine retired from service not only proud of her accomplishments but for the way she used her lived experience to help make transit a more welcoming place for working mothers like her. “I was very much a forerunner,” she said. 

Continue reading on the Riders' Almanac blog

On family road trips, Dorothy Maki paid close attention to her father’s driving and was fascinated by the tractor trailers that passed by their station wagon. It was little surprise, then, that when it came time to choose a career, she gravitated to one that involved being behind a steering wheel.  

When her career as a bus operator later merged with a longtime interest in teaching, she had what she considered her "dream job." "I love to drive, I love people, and I love customer service, and this is a place where all that comes together," she said.  

After 35 years of service, Dorothy retired in March 2025. Her career began at the Nicollet Garage where she served as an extraboard operator and spent a lot of time on routes 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 17, and 21.  

She served briefly as a relief dispatcher before joining Metro Transit’s inaugural group of full-time instructors, teaching newly hired operators in the classroom and on the road.  

As an Instructor, Dorothy didn’t just focus on the rules of the road but on the problem-solving and communication skills needed to thrive in what can be a stressful environment. She also took a keen interest in the wellbeing of her students, using kindness and stern affirmation to build people’s confidence in themselves. 

Seeing her students overcome challenges and go on to build lasting careers, she said, was among the most fulfilling parts of her career. "I just get so thrilled when I could take someone on the cusp and help them make it," she said. "Their whole life changes."

Before ending her career at the Instruction Center, Dorothy spent 12 years as the vice president for the ATU Local 1005. In that leadership role, she prided herself on fighting for fairness and justice, growing the ATU Hardship Fund, and making it standard practice for the ATU to be involved early in meetings regarding medical disqualifications.  

In retirement, she planned to continue advocating for workers rights in retirement. Based on her own experience, she was especially interested in strengthening support for working parents. She also planned to spend more time with family and traveling.  

After Dale Patrin switched from hotel housekeeping for a better-paying job driving a Metro Transit bus, he still thought about applying for a job elsewhere because he had a couple of college degrees. That was until Metro Transit showed him how much he was appreciated. 

"There was one event that helped me fall in love with Metro Transit," Patrin said. "I was out driving on a route and a street supervisor showed up with another driver. He told me my son had fallen out of a tree and broke his wrist and said Metro Transit wanted me to be with my family. I've never forgotten that."

Dale went on to have a 39-year career with Metro Transit, retiring in March 2025. 

Dale started as a part-time operator before going full time, became a relief instructor in early 2000 and applied in 2017 for garage coordinator, a position he held until retirement. 

His retirement plans included driving for a coach bus for a private company so he could travel around the country. He also planned to spend more time with his seven grandchildren.

After 35 years behind the wheel, Tyler Stoutenburg is parking his bus for the last time. 

"I only planned to stay a short time," Tyler said. "But after marriage and kids, I decided to stick with it—and the years just went by." 

That decision led to a career spanning three and a half decades, full of many different experiences, like the infamous Halloween blizzard. "It was a tough time, but we managed," he said. 

His career wasn’t without challenges. "Not every day was great," he admitted. But anytime he thought about pursuing another job, he remembered a past job hauling garbage. "That job was brutal," he said. 

Tyler started part-time at Ruter, then moved to full-time at the Old Snelling Garage, then East Metro, and finally Heywood. In 2019, he pursued leadership training and briefly became an assistant manager. The position was temporary, so after completing the leadership academy, he returned to his previous role. 

His favorite routes included routes 61 and 71, and he truly enjoyed having a varied schedule instead of the daily surprises of working extra board. "I liked switching things up, so I didn’t get bored," he said. "I didn’t want the same monotonous routine." 

As he leaves Metro Transit, Tyler expresses his gratitude for the friendships he made over the years. "It’s been an incredible journey," he said. "I’ll miss the people, but I’m ready for the next chapter." 

In retirement, Tyler plans to finish building his lake home, fish, ride ATVs, and travel to parks across the country. "The world is full of opportunities when every day is like a Saturday," he said.