DART names Jacksonville transit leader as next CEO

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors has chosen Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. to take on responsibilities as the agency’s next president and CEO. 

He will officially begin his role on Oct. 26 later this year. Ford will fill the shoes of Nadine Lee following the end of her tenure earlier this year. 

Ford currently serves as CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). He has operated in that capacity since 2012, rounding out nearly four decades of experience in the transportation industry. 

Prior to joining JTA, Ford served as executive director and CEO for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Other notable roles throughout his career include CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, assistant chief transportation officer for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District and as deputy line superintendent and superintendent of district night operations for New York City Transit. 

He has led a distinguished career, recognized with numerous appointments and awards highlighting him as an industry innovator. Some of these positions include: 

• Chair of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. 
• Chair of the American Public Transportation Association. 
• Policy Board National Ambassador for the U.S. with the Union Internationale des Transports Publics. 

Ford has an Executive MBA from the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. He has also earned a Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Organizational Leadership at Mercer University and an Associate of Arts in Business Administration from Golden Gate University. Ford has also completed the Executive Development Consortium Business course at Emory University and received executive training at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Photo courtesy of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority