{"id":218040,"date":"2026-04-03T22:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T22:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/218040\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T22:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T22:42:09","slug":"bob-lasher-the-voice-of-psta-retires-after-21-years-of-service-to-pinellas-citizens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/218040\/","title":{"rendered":"Bob Lasher, the “Voice of PSTA,” retires after 21 years of service\u00a0to Pinellas citizens"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

You might not necessarily recognize his face. But if you\u2019ve ever ridden a bus in Pinellas County, you\u2019ve heard his voice.\u00a0For years, Bob Lasher has been the familiar voice behind your rides with Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), guiding riders through routes, stops, and daily commutes. After officially retiring at the end of March, the community is saying goodbye to a figure who helped shape the everyday transit experience for thousands upon thousands over the last 21 years.<\/p>\n

Long before becoming a familiar voice on local buses, Lasher built a career centered around media and communications. Starting in the \u201980s, he worked in television with WTOG Channel 44 in Tampa Bay. He was a writer and producer for evening broadcasts, even occasionally stepping in front of the camera as a weather anchor.<\/p>\n

\"People\"PeoplePhoto via PSTA<\/p>\n

His work eventually took him across the country. He continued working as a news anchor, reporter, and producer in stations across Georgia and California, which then led to an extended stint in New Jersey. <\/p>\n

While in Jersey, Lasher expanded into copywriting, public speaking, sales, and even tech. This built a skill set that spanned multiple industries. So when he returned to the area in 2005, stepping into a role with PSTA felt like a natural next chapter. As Community Relations Manager, he combined his experience and voice to advocate for public transit and connect more directly with the community.<\/p>\n

Making an impact in the community<\/p>\n

When he joined PSTA in 2005, Lasher immediately stepped into the community-facing side of the company. He spoke at Rotary clubs, Kiwanis meetings, HOAs, and other local groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lasher built relationships and defended the case for public transit in rooms where those conversations don\u2019t always happen. That kind of consistent, in-person outreach helped strengthen PSTA\u2019s presence across Pinellas County and made the company feel more connected to the people it serves.<\/p>\n

He also left a mark on how riders experience transit day to day. Lasher recorded onboard bus announcements and InfoLine messages, becoming a familiar voice for anyone navigating the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"People\"PeoplePhoto via PSTA<\/p>\n

Behind the scenes, he worked as a Public Information Officer, writing press releases, coordinating with media, and pushing back against misinformation, including through efforts like the \u201cBusting the Empty Bus Myth\u201d video. He was also focused on listening, not just talking. That led to the creation of the Transit Riders Advisory Committee (TRAC), giving riders a more direct line into the agency and a real voice in how the system evolves.<\/p>\n

A voice that will be missed<\/p>\n

After more than two decades of service, Bob Lasher\u2019s retirement marks the end of an era for PSTA. His dedication to the community and passion for public transit left a lasting impact. Not just in the announcements riders hear, but in the way the company connects with the people it serves. As PSTA moves forward, it will carry on the connections and trust he worked so hard to build.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You might not necessarily recognize his face. But if you\u2019ve ever ridden a bus in Pinellas County, you\u2019ve…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":218041,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":{"0":"post-218040","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-st-petersburg","8":"tag-st-pete","9":"tag-st-pete-headlines","10":"tag-st-pete-news","11":"tag-st-petersburg","12":"tag-st-petersburg-headlines","13":"tag-st-petersburg-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}