DART Announces Three Finalists for CEO Position

The process of identifying DART's new President and Chief Executive Officer has taken one step further by the announcement of the three finalists for this position within the DART organization. This decision came following the decision of the DART Board of Directors to reduce the number of applicants to the position to three experienced transportation executives from around the country.

Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority; Dee Leggett, Director of Business Operations at Herzog Transit Services and former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at DART; and Monica Tellez-Fowler, President and CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority are the three finalists of DART. All have years of experience in managing transportation systems and projects.

Public Invited to Meet the Candidates

To conduct this process, DART has opened up the process to the participation of the general public. It has organized a get-together event with the three finalists at DART headquarters, located in downtown Dallas, for the purpose of allowing the people to meet the candidates.

The feedback gathered during the event would be examined by the DART board in order to come to a conclusion. According to Board Chairman Randall Bryant, DART wants the feedback from the community as choosing the CEO for DART is one of the biggest decisions made by the board. He mentioned that the three finalists are excellent public transport executives with lots of experience.

A Look at the Finalists

Currently, Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. is the head of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority in Florida, and he possesses over ten years of experience in this position. Prior to his current job, he was a senior leader for transit authorities in New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta.

Only Dee Leggett among all the finalists has any previous experience leading DART. She previously held positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer in DART and is now the Director of Business Operations in Herzog Transit Services. Knowledge of the DART system, its infrastructure and partners can become an important asset in the selection process.

The third finalist, Monica Tellez-Fowler, is a President and CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority. Prior to becoming its head, she led other transit agencies, including Trinity Metro in Fort Worth.

Board Vote Scheduled for Final Selection

After the public outreach meeting, it is anticipated that the DART Board will convene again on July 14 to make its decision on the next President and CEO for DART. This selected individual will serve in this role as the official replacement for the former DART President and CEO following the conclusion of negotiations and orientation.

In the interim, David Leininger will continue serving in the roles of Interim President and CEO at DART while the new CEO’s arrival date depends on negotiations.

New Leader Faces Important Challenges

The newly appointed CEO will be taking charge at a very crucial time for DART. DART is making efforts to establish better rapport with the member cities as it undergoes a change in governance, budgeting issues, and improvements in transportation within the Dallas metropolitan area.

This transition comes in the wake of the retirement of the former CEO of DART, Nadine Lee, who had previously stated that she would be leaving her post on the completion of her contract. In the meantime, the agency has been headed by Interim CEO David Leininger as the agency conducted a national search for a new CEO.

The board believes that this choice will bring stability to the organization and improve transport facilities for the people of Dallas.