Finding Her Own Path: EOU Alum Jamie Acton Named General Manager of Metro Transit in Madison, Wisconsin

Finding Her Own Path: EOU Alum Jamie Acton Named General Manager of Metro Transit in Madison, Wisconsin

LA GRANDE, Ore. – When Jamie Acton steps into her new role as General Manager of Metro Transit in Madison, Wisconsin, she brings years of leadership and public service. She also carries something less obvious: the lessons and resilience from a journey that began — and eventually circled back to — Eastern Oregon University.

Metro Transit is Madison’s primary public transportation provider. It runs fixed-route buses, oversees paratransit services for people with disabilities, and manages a $77 million budget with 500 employees. It’s a position that requires strategic thinking, adaptability, and a deep commitment to meeting community needs, qualities Acton credits to her education at EOU.

“I had a non-linear path,” Acton said. “I showed up in person in 1997, played volleyball my freshman year, and in all honesty, I had a rough go. Not a traditional path.”

After leaving La Grande and returning to Anchorage, Alaska, Acton set aside her original plans. But by 2012, she knew she wanted to finish what she had started. Through EOU’s flexible online programs and with the guidance of a supportive advisor, she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in interdisciplinary writing in 2015.

She calls it her ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ degree, and it has given her the skills she still relies on today. “I’ve done a ton of grant writing,” she said. “That interdisciplinary writing focus has been invaluable.”

Those skills proved essential as she advanced into leadership roles, serving six years as an executive director in Anchorage and later holding a mayoral appointment. Her path took her to Seattle and Phoenix, and now to Madison, where she will help lead a city making significant investments in public transportation.

For Acton, the return to a place with four seasons and a strong sense of community feels familiar. “That was the thing about Eastern, it had that small-town, hometown feel. La Grande prepared me for this,” she said.

Her brother, Blake Acton, also found success at EOU, earning his MBA. Together, they represent the impact of a rural university that supports students no matter where their paths lead.

“I think Eastern taught me how to go into a community and not know anyone, how to stand on my own two feet,” Acton reflected. “Whether it was a straight line or not, it’s something I’m very proud of.”

She wants others to know that finishing a degree doesn’t have to follow one script. “I need people to know it’s okay, I didn’t finish as planned. I did what was right for me, and Eastern Oregon University gave me the freedom to do that. A lot of other schools wouldn’t have provided that flexibility.”

Now, as she leads Madison Metro Transit into its next chapter, Acton sees the direct relevance of her EOU experience. Just as she built her own academic path, she is now tasked with helping shape a transportation system that adapts to the unique needs of a growing and changing community.

For Acton, it wasn’t just about finishing a degree; it was about finishing it on her terms. “Life has a way of working out,” she said. “Eastern gave me exactly the type of education I needed.”