Gena Torres | Executive Planner | Tenure: 26 years
Gena Torres is an Executive Planner with the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization. After graduating from the University of South Florida, she has spent the past 30 years working to make the streets of Tampa and surrounding communities safer. She has tackled the challenge of turning around one of the most notoriously high crash counties, conducted an in-depth analysis of crashes, and managed localized studies of high crash corridors. She has brought each of these issues to the attention of elected officials by capitalizing on opportunities to make change and engaging citizens before, during, and after the process.
She also spearheads the Vision Zero Hillsborough mission for which she received the Future of the Region Award from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. She developed and implemented the Vision Zero Action Plan which included painting bike lanes green and adding colorful street murals to intersections, unveiled a video highlighting the stories of four traffic crash victims at Tampa Theatre, and held several marches in remembrance of friends and neighbors who lost their lives to traffic violence. Gena is particularly interested in the transit, walking, and bicycle dependent communities who are most affected by our transportation decisions. She strives to cycle or take transit to work at least five times each month.
Gena is a proud mother, grandmother and avid softball player! In her spare time, Gena goes bike riding with her grandson and plays in the Senior Women’s Softball league in Clearwater where she gets to play in tournaments all over the state and beyond.
