Report: Metro to tap Denver transit official as new boss*

Word in the LA business community is that Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday will introduce Phil Washington, the head of Denver's Regional Transportation District, as the new CEO of Metro. Garcetti is the current board chairman of Metro. A briefing sent to members of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, or BizFed, says there will be a press conference Thursday morning. "As you'll see from his bio, he is cleary very well prepared to tackle the transportation challenges facing our region, and we look forward to working closely with him and his team," the briefing email says. Current CEO Art Leahy is stepping down.

Washington has run the Denver show as general manager since 2009. From his bio up there: "Phil commutes to work by bus and light rail each day from his home in Aurora, Colorado."

* Wednesday update: Washington has informed his agency he's leaving, Denver Business Journal reports.