IndyGo
Transportation leadership supported by eight managers and 36 supervisors.
TRANSIT LEADERSHIP
Moving people is the career.
Operations, service delivery, workforce leadership, startups, labor relations and the real-world work of making schedules actually happen.
WITH GRATITUDE
Jude Kiah — Mentor
For the guidance, friendship, confidence and occasional reality check throughout my career. Many people teach you how to do a job. A true mentor helps you become the leader you were meant to be. Thank you, Jude.
I started behind the wheel in 2007. Since then, I’ve led urban and rural transit operations, managed large frontline teams, transitioned contracts and worked through the practical challenges of delivering dependable service.
Experience with scale.
Hill Country Transit District
Approximately 9,000 square miles, 150 staff and 120 buses under management oversight.
Durham School Services
Collected outstanding revenue while reducing outstanding collections by 90% within 90 days.
The career journey.
JULY 2023–PRESENT
HTG • Wilson, North Carolina
General Manager
Leading community transportation, demand response and Medicaid transportation. The daily work connects staffing, dispatch, fleet availability, safety and customer service.
FALL 2022–APRIL 2023
HTG / DCTA • Denton, Texas
Interim Safety and Training Manager
Served in an interim safety and training leadership role for Denton County Transportation Authority through HTG.
JANUARY–AUGUST 2022
HTG • San Saba & Belton, Texas
General Manager
Led Hill Country Transit District’s transition from in-house management to contracted management through HTG. Oversight covered nine counties and approximately 9,000 square miles, with approximately 150 full-time-equivalent staff and a fleet of 120 buses.
2020–2021
IndyGo • Indianapolis, Indiana
Director of Transportation
Managed eight transportation managers, 36 supervisors and 470 full-time-equivalent drivers, with oversight of the Downtown Transit Center. Responsibilities included operator work assignments, policy development, staff development and union grievance hearings.
2020–2021
RATP Dev • Bowling Green, Kentucky
General Manager — Bowling Green
Led the transition from a contractor responsible for both management and operations to a management contractor overseeing a separate operations contractor. Introduced Token Transit for mobile fare collection.
Contract transition & passenger technology
- Led the change in contracting structure, moving management and operational delivery into separate contractor roles.
- Oversaw the operations contractor under the new management model.
- Implemented Token Transit mobile fare collection, giving passengers a digital fare payment option.
2019–2020
RATP Dev / Mountain Metro Transit • Colorado Springs, Colorado
General Manager — Fixed-Route Operations
Improved employee morale and rebuilt the safety culture in fixed-route operations. Reduced preventable and non-preventable accidents, achieving three consecutive months without an accident.
Safety turnaround & workforce leadership
- Reintroduced mandatory monthly safety meetings and reinforced expectations through regular driver safety reminders.
- Led improvements in employee morale while making safety a consistent part of daily operations.
- Achieved a three-month accident-free streak following the operation’s accident experience over the preceding seven months.
- Received a RATP Dev USA safety award and ranked as the company’s highest-performing General Manager for subrogation claims.
2018–2019
RATP Dev / Concho Valley Transit District • San Angelo, Texas
General Manager — Concho Valley Transit District
Led urban and regional transit across 12 West Texas counties spanning approximately 15,400 square miles—a service territory larger than nine U.S. states. Secured funding for “Dump the Lunch,” eliminating midday fixed-route service interruptions and introducing continuous all-day service, increasing ridership by 20%.
Service growth, team leadership & modernization
- Directed a multidisciplinary team spanning assistant general management, finance and accounting, grants and administration, safety and compliance, road supervision, dispatch, facilities, maintenance, and fixed-route, demand-response and rural drivers.
- Found funding to eliminate the fixed-route lunch break through the “Dump the Lunch” initiative, providing continuous all-day service and increasing ridership by 20%.
- Led CVTD during the year it earned the Texas Transit Association’s 2019 Outstanding Urban Transit System Award, recognizing the organization’s collective work.
- Introduced Remix route planning, maintenance management software and Token Transit mobile fare collection.
- Rebuilt procurement after the Council of Governments (COG) decentralized purchasing to its individual agencies. Hired a procurement manager who turned CVTD’s procurement function around; the following year, the COG adopted CVTD’s procurement team to handle purchasing across the entire organization.
- Service area: Tom Green, Coke, Sterling, Reagan, Irion, Concho, McCulloch, Crockett, Schleicher, Menard, Sutton and Kimble counties.
2017–2018
First Transit / DCTA • Denton, Texas
Assistant General Manager
Oversaw operations, customer service, call center, safety and training for DCTA’s Denton Connect, Lewisville Connect, Access paratransit and University of North Texas fixed-route services. Supervised route planning, supported union negotiations and grievance handling, and served as General Manager in the GM’s absence.
Operational oversight, labor relations & HR leadership
- Supervised an Operations Manager, Customer Service Director, and Safety and Training Manager, with responsibility for operations, customer service, call center, safety and training functions.
- Oversaw Denton Connect and Lewisville Connect fixed-route services, DCTA Access paratransit, and fixed-route services for the University of North Texas (UNT).
- Supervised route planning across the services under management.
- Served as the de facto HR lead during an HR manager transition. Established a required documentation and approval process: all submissions to HR required the appropriate form and my sign-off, including submissions from the General Manager.
- Served as General Manager during the GM’s absence.
- Participated in union negotiations, handled grievances and unemployment hearings, and revised employee handbooks.
- Assisted with the 2018 Federal Transit Administration triennial review.
2016–2017
Durham School Services • Lewisville Charters, Location 3017 • Texas
General Manager — Lewisville Charters
Led approximately 100 drivers and a fleet of 65 buses across the Carrollton Charter Hub and Lancaster office. Managed school transportation and charter services, including Dallas Cowboys / AT&T Stadium employee shuttles and Texas Rangers game-day shuttles. Collected more than $1 million in outstanding revenue and reduced outstanding collections by 90% within 90 days.
Two-location leadership, school contracts & stadium transportation
- Supervised a Charter Manager, Operations Manager, Office Manager, Maintenance Manager, Dispatcher, Safety Manager and Charter Coordinator, supporting approximately 100 drivers and 65 buses.
- Directed two operating locations: the Carrollton Charter Hub and Lancaster office, under Lewisville Charters, Location 3017.
- Managed the KIPP charter school transportation contract through the Lancaster office.
- Managed the Manara charter school contract in Irving and the Cistercian Preparatory School contract through the Carrollton office.
- Oversaw Lewisville Charter Center operations through the Carrollton office, including Dallas Cowboys / AT&T Stadium employee shuttles and Texas Rangers game-day shuttles.
- Collected more than $1 million in outstanding revenue while reducing outstanding collections by 90% within 90 days.
2015–2016
Transdev / CARTA • Charleston, South Carolina
Transit Operations Manager
Managed nine supervisors and dispatchers and 119 drivers in a union environment. Although my time in Charleston was short, lasting friendships were forged.
2012–2015
Durham School Services • Macomb & McDonough County, Illinois
General Manager
Led school transportation, fixed-route transit and demand-response dispatch across two locations, supervising approximately 100 drivers, an Operations Supervisor and a Maintenance Director. Secured successful contract renewals in 2015 and oversaw the transit operation’s move into a new building in 2013.
Contract leadership, operating procedures & recognition
- Oversaw Location 6021: Macomb School District 185, with 30 buses; Location 6023: Go West Transit, with 30 buses; and Location 6024: McDonough County Public Transit demand-response dispatch.
- Supervised approximately 100 drivers, one Operations Supervisor and one Maintenance Director across two operating locations.
- Secured successful contract renewals for Durham School Services in 2015.
- Introduced a complete reworking of Go West Transit’s routes and system in 2012, with route numbering and branding oriented toward Western Illinois University.
- Redesigned bus stop signs in 2012 to include text-based bus information and the new route numbers.
- Oversaw the transit operation’s relocation to a new building in 2013, establishing facility protocols and procedures.
- Responsibilities included accident investigation, route design, policy development and creation of standard operating procedures.
- Received a National Express COO Challenge Coin for the 2012 blizzard event.
2012 Go West route redesign — before & after
Route names, service descriptions and numbering from the 2012 system redesign.
| Route number | Old name | New name | Old description | New description / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red | Purple | Campus | Campus Carousel |
| 2 | Green | Gold | Campus | Campus Carousel |
| 3 | Blue | Blue | Campus | Off Campus Carousel |
| 4 | Orange | Silver | Late Night | Off Campus Carousel |
| 5 | Brown | Brown | Shopping | Shopping |
| 6 | White | Maroon | City | Evening Campus Carousel |
| 7 | Gold | Black | City | Late Night |
| 8 | Pink | Burgundy | City | Late Night |
| 9 | Purple | Not Used | City | Reserved in new numbering |
| 10 | Black | Amtrak | Amtrak | Same route; color name dropped |
| 11 | Silver | Not Used | Campus | Reserved in new numbering |
| 12 | Maroon | South | Campus | New |
| 13 | Tan | West | Late Night | Reserved for a proposed route pending funding; funding never became available and the route was never launched. |
| 14 | Yellow | North | City | Old 14 |
| 15 | Not Used | East | Not Used | New |
| 16 | Not Used | Northwest | Not Used | Old 6 |
| 17 | Not Used | Northeast | Not Used | Old 7 |
| 18 | Not Used | Southeast | Not Used | Old 8 |
| 19 | Not Used | Southwest | Not Used | Old 9 |
| 20 | Not Used | Not Used | Not Used | — |
| 21 | Not Used | Bomber Express | Not Used | — |
| 22 | Not Used | Not Used | Not Used | — |
| 23 | Violet | Retired | Summer School | — |
| 24 | Teal | Retired | Summer School | — |
2010–2012
Beck Bus — A Petermann Company • Macomb, Illinois
Transit Operations Supervisor → Assistant Director of Operations
Moved to Beck Bus when it took over the Go West Transit contract from First Student in 2010. Oversaw 30 buses and approximately 40 drivers. Upon completing my master’s degree in 2011, my title changed to Assistant Director of Operations.
Transit operations, passenger information & company transition
- Oversaw a 30-bus transit operation with approximately 40 drivers.
- Introduced Go West Transit’s Yellow Route in 2010.
- Helped implement text-based “find my bus” information and real-time bus tracking to improve passenger access to service information.
- Helped establish the system’s social media presence and served as its official photographer.
- Worked on route design and run cutting to organize routes into operator work assignments.
- Title changed from Transit Operations Supervisor to Assistant Director of Operations in 2011 following completion of my master’s degree.
- Beck Bus, a Petermann company, was acquired by Durham School Services in 2012. The Beck Bus name was retired and the operation became Durham School Services.
2009–2010
First Student / Go West Transit • Macomb, Illinois
Transit Supervisor
Moved into transit supervision in 2009 after beginning my career as a driver. Transferred to Beck Bus in 2010 when First Student lost the Go West Transit contract.
2007–2009
Laidlaw / First Student • Go West Transit • Macomb, Illinois
Bus Driver
Began my transportation career behind the wheel, primarily driving Go West Transit’s Red, Green and Orange routes. Recognized as Driver of the Month in August and September 2007.
HOW I LEAD
Clear expectations. Follow-through.
My approach combines frontline experience with an analytical view of operations. Safety, scheduling, employee engagement and financial performance are connected responsibilities. I believe in setting clear expectations, developing the people responsible for delivering them, and using results to identify what needs to change.
Recognition & Safety Leadership
Two career reminders: the system you help build and the culture you insist on protecting.
Texas Transit Association • 2019
Outstanding Urban Transit System
In 2019, the Texas Transit Association recognized the Concho Valley Transit District (CVTD) in San Angelo as its Outstanding Urban Transit System.
I was serving as General Manager when CVTD received the award, making this one of the career moments I'm particularly proud of. Transit awards aren't earned by one person — they reflect the work of the operators, dispatchers, maintenance staff, administrative team and leadership working together every day to provide safe and dependable service.
The award was presented March 4, 2019, and remains a reminder of what a transit system can accomplish when the entire organization is moving in the same direction.
Top photo: Holding CVTD’s 2019 Texas Transit Association Outstanding Urban Transit System Award. Plaque photo: the award itself.
RATP Dev USA • Safety Award
Yes, There’s a Baseball Bat in My Office
This RATP Dev USA safety award bat has my name on it—and yes, it still hangs in my office.
I was awarded this limited-edition bat, number 6 of only 6, for my work in Colorado. When I arrived, the operation had been experiencing numerous accidents, and rebuilding the safety culture became one of my priorities.
I reintroduced mandatory monthly safety meetings and reinforced them with regular safety reminders for drivers. The goal was simple: make safety something we talked about constantly, not just after something went wrong.
The effort paid off. The operation achieved a three-month accident-free streak, a significant turnaround from where we had started.
During that same period, I was also the highest-performing General Manager in the company for subrogation claims, successfully pursuing recovery when another party was responsible for a loss.
Years later, the bat still hangs in my office. It is more than an award or a piece of memorabilia. It is a reminder that a strong safety culture does not happen by accident—it has to be built, reinforced, and lived every day.
Safety Award Bat — RATP Dev USA, Limited Edition No. 6 of 6
