JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., the longtime chief executive of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, is among three finalists for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit president and CEO post, though he has not accepted a job offer and DART has not publicly identified which candidate the board selected, according to KDFW in Dallas.
DART board members voted 9-6 during a recent meeting to pick a finalist but declined to name the person, saying the agency will announce its choice July 21 after completing the employment process, according to Fox 4. The report says that multiple board members referred to the candidate as a man and he is the only man among the three finalists.
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The three finalists named last week were Ford; Dee Leggett, director of business operations for Herzot Transit Services; and Monica Tellez-Fowler, president and CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority, Fox 4 reported.
DART Board Chairman Randall Bryant, in a statement reported by Fox 4, said he was “committed to strengthening DART’s governance, securing sustainable funding, and preserving the agency’s future,” and called selecting a highly qualified leader a critical step toward those goals. Several board members urged delaying the vote to allow more time for vetting; a motion to delay failed, the station reported.
Ford, who announced in early July that he will resign from JTA effective Jan. 8, 2027, has overseen major projects and initiatives in Jacksonville. Under his leadership, the JTA says it launched the First Coast Flyer bus rapid transit system, built the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center, secured more than $400 million in federal discretionary grants, supported a local-option gas tax extension that generated about $1 billion for regional infrastructure, and completed a 27-project road and complete-streets initiative two years ahead of schedule. Other JTA projects included a redesign of the transit system, regional service expansions, deployment of an autonomous-vehicle transit service and attracting a $200 million autonomous vehicle manufacturing investment.
At the same time, Ford’s tenure has attracted scrutiny. JTA has faced criticism lately after cutting services and raising fares to address a projected $17.5 million budget shortfall for fiscal 2027.
DART has been led by interim President and CEO David Leninger since April, after the agency and former CEO Nadine Lee could not reach a severance agreement. The board’s formal announcement next week is expected to provide more detail about the selection and any employment terms.
Ford will remain fully engaged with JTA through January 2027 to support a seamless transition and assist the board in preparing for the next CEO.
The JTA Board’s next scheduled meeting is July 29. Board Chair Aundra Wallace said the board plans to discuss next steps for the CEO position at that meeting.