Toya Stewart Downey

Toya Stewart Downey currently serves as the Chief Communications Officer at Collaborative Student Transportation since January 2025. Prior experience includes the role of Executive Director of Strategic Communications, Equity and Inclusion at Robbinsdale Area Schools from August 2020 to December 2024, where Toya led a team recognized with eight awards for excellence in public relations. Previous positions include Director of Communications and Inclusion at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and Interim Director of Communications, Marketing and Development at Saint Paul Public Schools, where extensive management and strategic communication skills were demonstrated. Toya's early career involved journalism roles at The Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram, along with editorial work for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and administrative experience at the University of Minnesota. Toya holds multiple degrees from the University of Minnesota, including a Master's in Health Journalism and a Bachelor's in English, Rhetoric, and African American Studies.