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On Tuesday, Metra’s board appointed Alexander Clifford executive director and chief executive officer of the commuter-rail agency.

Clifford most recently was executive officer of high-speed rail for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, working as an ombudsman with the California High Speed Rail Authority to help facilitate the integration of high-speed train service into Los Angeles County’s existing transportation corridors.

He also oversaw the authority’s interests in the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which governs Metrolink, and Los Angeles-San Diego Rail Corridor Agency.

Clifford plans to bring a reform agenda to Metra.

“The Metra board has tasked me with restoring public confidence in our agency by instilling strong financial and management controls and inspiring Metra employees to meeting these important challenges,” Clifford said in a prepared statement. “We will also continue to modernize our operation including incorporating new technology for better customer communications.”

Clifford’s experience as a “big-picture policymaker and a day-to-day operations manager” made him an optimal choice, said Metra Chairperson Carole Doris.