Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) named three finalists for its President and CEO role. They held a meet and greet at DART headquarters in Downtown Dallas Saturday afternoon. The board will vote on a finalist on Tuesday, July 14 at 6 p.m. The finalists come from a variety of transit backgrounds , each with extensive public service and experience. 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. Téllez-Fowler joined the greater Columbus, Ohio, area transportation agency in 2023, according to COTA’s website, 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 AM 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. Florida media outlets reported this week he plans to step down Jan. 8, 2027. muni_141_mac.jpg MUNI had over 100 people passsing out apology flyer today, including Jamie Osborne at the Embarcadero Station. The letter began: Dear Muni Customers- “On behalf of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, (SFMTA), I would like to express our apologies for the frustrations you have experienced with Muni over the last few days.” The letter went on and was signed by Nathaniel P. Ford, Executive director/CEO SFMTA. MUNI Exec. Director Nat Ford kept a close watch on the evening commute at the Embarcader station, while talking with people about the train service over the past few days. Photographed in, San Francisco, Ca, on 4/12/07. Photo by: Michael Macor/ The Chronicle Ran on: 04-13-2007 Muni chief Nathaniel Ford rides an inbound T-Third train to monitor glitches in the system. Ran on: 04-13-2007 Transit chief Nathaniel Ford rides an inbound T-Third train to monitor glitches in the system. (Photo By Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) Leggett, the only candidate with experience working at DART, was named the agency’s executive vice president of growth and regional development in 2022. She now serves as director of business operations with Herzog Transit Services, a rail company that worked on the Silver Line project. DALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 24: Dee Leggett, DART EVP Chief Development Officer, speaks at the DART Silver Line Opening Ceremony on October 24, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Dallas Area Rapid Transit) “We are confident these three candidates represent the best public transportation leaders from across the country,” said DART Board Chair Randall Bryant. “The Board has a monumental task ahead of us to select our next President CEO from this finalist panel. As part of our commitment to transparency and community engagement, we’re asking the public for feedback from our meet greet on Saturday to inform the final decision.” 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. The agency’s next chief executive will inherit a system still working to rebuild trust with member cities while navigating major changes to governance, funding and service. Former CEO Nadine Lee stepped down amid tension with DART’s member cities like Addison, Highland Park, and University Park. All three cities threatened to leave if the transit agency was not changed; Highland Park eventually did vote to leave. The agency’s leadership structure was changed to give suburban cities more representation. Click here to read more on this report from our partners at The Dallas Morning News. ...read more read less