Willie Black


William is serving his second term as a CAT member. He is the current Chapter President of the Weber/Davis Chapter and a state board member of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of Utah. He serves as a board member for the National Association of Blind Merchants. He runs the labor contract for the Hill Air Force Base troop dining.

Willie has been an advocate for people with disabilities for many years. He believes that obstacles are just waiting for solutions to be found. Willie is legally blind from birth due to Albinism and has Glaucoma. Willie is proud of his accomplishments as a husband, father, and business owner who just so happens to be blind! He is truly living the life he wants.

Leisa Bolander


Leisa is a resident of Utah County and is serving her second term on the CAT committee. She represents the disability community as a liaison between UTA and non-profit service providers for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Leisa works for TURN Community Services as a Director of Program Services where she advocates for the individuals served by TURN in Utah county and state-wide. Leisa joined the CAT committee to advocate for increased UTA services for those people living with and without disabilities in Utah County.

Sandra Curcio


Sandra Curcio is serving her second term as a CAT committee member. Sandra is the Executive Director of Ability 1st Utah Center for Independent Living in Provo. She has worked for the independent living program for 33 years and has advocated for system changes for individuals with disabilities in accessing vital community resources such as transportation, housing, and many other community resources to remove barriers for individuals with disabilities.

Sandra has personally utilized UTA services for 18 years and has also assisted many individuals with disabilities in learning how to access and use public transportation services. Sandra joined the CAT committee to increase transportation opportunities in communities that have little or no public transportation and to advocate for accessible and affordable transportation for all riders.

Christine Diniz


Christine is a native Utahn living on the west side of Salt Lake City in a home her father built. She earned a degree from Washington University in St. Louis, the first college graduate in her family. Her parents said she went back east and has become a boss at some company. After 5 states and close to 20 years, she returned to Utah to earn an MBA from Westminster.

At the age of 64, she turned to teaching mathematics but retired during the pandemic. She left a paycheck, but not her interests! She has gardened for 20 years in the Fairpark Community Garden and even studied and earned the brag of Master Gardener. She took up painting, entering her work in the State Fair, but it is likely to never measure up to Grandma Moses. She also cans, quilts, and enters cooking contests.

Active in the community, she is interested in matters related to seniors, Westside development, and homelessness. She has, for a decade, been the caregiver for her mother who has Alzheimer's. Christine was recently diagnosed with a rare disorder that affects her mobility.

It is Christine’s third year with CAT, and she’s currently Chairperson for the Services Subcommittee. She jokes that an internship nearly 50 years ago with Bi-State (UTA’s equivalent) prepared her for CAT!

Roger Downing


My name is Roger! I was born and raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts. I lived in New Jersey for 19.5 years and have been in Utah since 2016. I was diagnosed with ADHD and cognitive disability when I was an adult. I represent the Utah County service area.

I enjoy being on the CAT committee! I joined because I like to advocate for others with the same type of disability and other disabilities to be treated equally. I also joined CAT because I feel like people need avenues for things like going to meetings and independent living centers, and without public transportation, they may be excluded. I am also involved with the Utah Developmental Disability Council.

I am an Assistant to the Executive Director (meaning, I do everything!) at Ability 1st, a resource center for people with disabilities. I’m also a peer mentor at Ability 1st.

In my spare time, I like to hang out with friends, travel, and see new worlds. I love Star Trek and the shows Little House on The Prairie and Heartland.

Ken Duke


Ken, a Utah native, has spent most of his life in Salt Lake City, striving for independence despite being blind. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Utah Transit Authority's Committee on Accessible Transportation (CAT), advising on accessibility issues to ensure non-discrimination for people with disabilities.

Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in 1982, Ken shifted his career aspirations from woodworking to technology. He earned a degree in computer science and enjoyed a 28-year career in information technology, supported by assistive technologies. As his vision deteriorated, he took early retirement and earned a business management degree from the University of Utah.

Ken also holds leadership roles in the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and Utah Achilles chapter. His dedication to service extends beyond his professional life, participating in marathons, tandem bike races, and Olympic torch relays. Inspired by figures like Albert Einstein, Ken continues to connect with and serve the blind community.

Sabra Ewing


Kati Lewis


My name is Kati Lewis. This is my 4th year serving on the CAT committee. I have worked for Davis School District’s transition program for 18 years. This program aims to equip young adults with disabilities with the necessary skills to navigate public transportation independently, particularly focusing on accessing the services provided by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA).

I have learned a lot from my time on the CAT committee and have appreciated their effort to ensure UTA's services are not only accessible but also welcoming and accommodating.

Harley McCall


My name is Harley, and I’m the UTA staff secretary to the CAT Committee! My dad would take me on TRAX or FrontRunner every weekend growing up, and that excitement to take the train has never worn off. I still love taking transit, especially while traveling. I got my associate degree from Salt Lake Community College in 2022 and have continued to take classes since. I worked for SLCC for 2 ½ years, during which I worked with the US Department of Civil Rights to make the college reopen exterior doors that they closed closest to the accessible parking spots, which discriminated against people with disabilities. I’m passionate about equality and justice. I’m an advocate for people with food allergies and intolerances, myself having gluten, dairy, and FODMAP intolerances. My newest hobby is aerial silks!

Kristi Lee Mortenson


I am a Utah native! I have lived in quite a lot of places on the East Coast. I have earned several degrees and quite a few certificates. I have counseled, taught, and guided all walks of life: Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hearing wonderful souls. I believe they teach me more than I do them. I am happily retired. I have been a lifelong Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advocate — passed on to me from my Papa, W. David Mortensen. I am now on the Community on Accessible Transportation (CAT) with UTA for the second year.

I have served on the Salt Lake Olympic Committee, including the Paralympics. I was on the committee with fantastic people, including Mitt Romney, for 5 years. I saw great things during the glory days of the Olympics and Paralympics.

I am heading for a new journey — becoming a life and health coach.

I am now officially called the Jet-Setter Deaf Grandma. I am happily married to the same man, my Big Bird, for 40 years. I love to write! Read! Sew! I get involved in sports when I can. I can vegetables and fruits, including my famous strawberry jam. My thumb is getting greener and greener. I love gardening flowers, vegetables, and other plants. My newest additional home is the greenhouse!

Gracia Roemer


I am Gracia, and am a member of the CAT Services Subcommittee. I was born with an appearance impairment, a large facial portwine stain birthmark, so I have been aware of the challenges of physical differences since I was a child.

I majored in philosophy and religion at Truman State University in Missouri. I enjoyed living in Boston for several years, working at WGBH Public Television as a closed captioner of programs for the deaf and hearing-impaired community who watch TV. I also wrote training manuals and articles for national publication. I am a childless chicken and cat lady — I have 3 elderly cats, as well as 5 elderly chickens. I am treating a beloved barred rock hen who is suffering from a disability called bumblefoot, which causes her to limp. We very much enjoy our bathtimes together each day.

When my sister was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and chronic fatigue, I moved to Utah to be near her, to help her through that ordeal. Then our mother received an Alzheimer's diagnosis, and a pastor musician friend and I put together an Alzheimer's Respite Hymn Video, which won a national Make A Difference Day Award. I also won an award from Utah's Disability Law Center for a similar project. Christine Diniz, my friend who told me about the CAT, is the current Chair of the Subcommittee I am pleased to serve on. I think this will be a fun opportunity to use my skills in an area I am passionate about, and I am eager to learn as much as I can, in order to help others. The CAT members are so friendly and helpful and really fine, caring people.

I look forward to developing friendships with CAT members and seeking ways to improve access to transportation for all.

Amanda Salmon


Amanda has been with UTA since 2022 in the role of ADA Compliance Officer and is the Staff Liaison to the Committee on Accessible Transportation. At a young age, she developed a passion for advocating for disability rights and has dedicated her career to the empowerment and enhancement of opportunities for people with disabilities in all aspects of life. She graduated first in her class with a master’s degree in counseling and community psychology from The Sage Colleges in Troy, NY, and continued her education by obtaining a post-master’s certificate in rehabilitation counseling from Utah State University.

Throughout her life and career, Amanda has worked in many different capacities to help enact change in her community. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, traveling, fashion, and advocacy. As a woman with ADHD, she especially enjoys opportunities to combine her interests and passions with her work, so she can make a difference while also having fun! As a cancer survivor that was born with a Chiari malformation, Amanda is determined to live life to the fullest and help others to do so as well!

Chris Wycoff


I am a retired high school teacher who has also worked in the technology sector as a software developer. I have been legally blind since 2004. I have used every type of vehicle UTA has to offer and I am a long-time rider. My focus since joining the CAT committee is to assist the sighted community to understand the essential needs of those with disabilities so solutions can become transformative. Often, that means showing rather than telling someone a better way so people can realize why somethings work for the disability community and why others do not.

I believe in a cooperative approach to problem-solving with all concerned parties providing input. Working together, we can make valuable contributions that allow the disability community to have the opportunity to access our community more easily than ever before.

I enjoy fishing, reading, sports, cooking, and being with my grandchildren.