Mr. Filler has been a leader in innovative transportation and commuter benefit programs for more than twenty-five years. He spearheaded the development of the entire area of commuter transportation benefits in the New York metropolitan area and made significant contributions to the creation of Internal Revenue Code section 132(f) “Qualified Transportation Fringes,” the law that governs tax benefits for commuters.
In 1984, while at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Mr. Filler on behalf of the New York business community and the major transit operators, led the effort to create a new regional alliance to increase the use of mass transportation. To fund this new effort, he was successful in obtaining the largest federal transit demonstration grant ever awarded. The alliance, which would eventually become TransitCenter, launched TransitChek, the nation's first regional transit voucher program in 1987. TransitChek, allowed employers to provide a $15 monthly federal transit tax benefit to employees. The early success of the TransitChek Program led to the development of similar programs throughout the country such as the DVRPC TransitChek Program in Philadelphia. The TransitChek program that he started has become the largest commutation benefit program in the United States. Through his efforts, TransitCenter continues to set the standard for innovation in commutation benefits and excellence in customer service that no other company has been able to match. Mr. Filler was born in New York City, received his Bachelor of Science from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, a Master of Science from the University of Chicago, and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law.