Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has named three finalists for its President and CEO role. The finalists are Monica Téllez-Fowler, CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority; Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority in Florida; and Dee Leggett, former executive vice president and chief development officer at DART.

Finalist Backgrounds

The finalists come from a variety of transit backgrounds, each with extensive public service and experience. Téllez-Fowler joined the greater Columbus, Ohio, area transportation agency in 2023 and formerly worked for an agency in Vancouver, Wash. She has roots in Texas, having served as chief financial officer of Trinity Metro in Fort Worth and earned degrees from Texas A&M University and Tarleton State University.

Ford began his career at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York before leading San Francisco and Atlanta transit agencies. He has served as CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority for more than 13 years. Leggett, the only candidate with experience working at DART, was named the agency’s executive vice president of growth and regional development in 2022.

The DART Board will vote on a finalist on Tuesday, July 14 at 6 p.m. The onboarding schedule for the new President & CEO is dynamic based on who is selected and the outcome of negotiations. Current Interim President & CEO David Leininger will continue to oversee the agency while the transition takes place.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.