Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) board of directors unanimously approved entering into contract negotiations with Dave Genova as its new GM/CEO.

Genova has served as the interim GM/CEO for RTD since April. He has been with RTD for more than 21 years, serving as the assistant GM, safety, security and facilities, for the past eight years. In that position, his responsibilities included overseeing safety certification for rail line openings and the renovated Denver Union Station.

“After conducting a nationwide search, and interviewing three very talented finalists, we concluded Dave was the best fit to lead RTD moving forward,” board Chairman Charles Sisk said. “We have a long history of developing leadership from within the agency. Pending results of the contract negotiation, we hope to provide an offer to Dave by the end of the year.”

Genova is a nationally-recognized industry leader serving on several national committees including: an appointment by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to the U.S. DOT Federal Transit Administration Transit Rail Advisory Committee on Safety; Immediate Past Chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s Rail Safety Committee; and the Transportation Research Board’s Transit Safety and Security Committee.

“I would like to thank the RTD Board for the confidence they have in me to lead the agency I care so much about,” Genova said. “By opening five major transit lines in 2016, we will be accomplishing what no transit agency has done in a single year. RTD has made tremendous progress and we need to keep our collective focus on how to best continue providing more transit options to serve the rapidly growing metro area.”