METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Transit GM Q&A: How are you attracting talent?

Metro asked some top industry executives how they are attracting the next generation of talent.

October 10, 2017
Transit GM Q&A: How are you attracting talent?

Phil Washington, CEO of Los Angeles County Metro.

3 min to read


Tina Quigley, GM
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas 

Tina Quigley, GM of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.

"At the RTC, we know that the next generation of workers value work-life balance, flexible working hours, and digital solutions. We strive to provide these opportunities by offering telecommuting options, a compressed work week, a competitive benefits package, and personal growth and development initiatives. Our goal is to provide a compelling work environment that inspires employees everyday."                                                                                   Phil Washington, CEO
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles

Ad Loading...
Phil Washington, CEO of Los Angeles County Metro.

"We are creating a well-trained workforce to help us deliver the hundreds of thousands of jobs required to build, maintain, and operate 40 major transportation and highway projects in Measure M, the ballot measure for transportation that passed last November. With that in mind, we have launched a career pathways program that will recruit and train talent for well-paying jobs throughout our agency. Part of career pathways is a unique program called Workforce Initiative Now-LA (WIN-LA), which provides support for participants in areas such as life skills development, skill set enhancement, and educational attainment. These programs illustrate our commitment to attracting the best workforce of any transportation agency in the country."

Darrell Johnson, CEO
Orange County Transportation Authority
Orange, Calif.

Darrell Johnson, CEO of Orange County Transportation Authority.

"As a multimodal agency, focusing on transit, freeway planning and construction, streets, and active transportation, we know how important it is to attract and develop a diverse workforce of talented employees. OCTA offers paid internships and an Intern Development Academy, which allows college students to see the breadth of work we do and build skills to successfully enter the workforce. We also have a structured mentor program that teams developing employees with seasoned professionals so they can work one-on-one to identify and achieve career goals. Our Management Academy and Leadership Development Academy identify young leaders and works with them to advance their careers. Strong succession planning also ensures that younger employees are developing skills necessary to move up in the organization and gives us confidence that we have a deep roster of capable leaders in all divisions."

Rob Gannon, GM
King County Metro
Seattle

Rob Gannon, GM of King County Metro.

"Seattle is home to the world’s most successful and best known companies. King County Metro competes every day to attract top talent to our workforce, and we aim just as high to be the world’s most customer-focused public agency. Great pay and benefits is just the start, but workers also seek flex schedules and a respect for work/life balance. Once hired, we mentor, rotate assignments, and foster talent in order to build careers here. We recruit in underserved and historically disadvantaged communities to better reflect and serve our community, and are stronger thanks to our growing diversity."

Ad Loading...

Doran Barnes, Executive Director
Foothill Transit
West Covina, Calif.

Doran Barnes, executive director of Foothill Transit.

"At Foothill Transit we know that our employees, new or seasoned, are hungry for opportunity. And we try to feed that hunger by not boxing people into static roles. Tuition reimbursement is one part of our strategy for preparing for those opportunities. Fostering leadership growth through participation in organizational learning programs at WTS, APTA, COMTO, TRB, and the Eno Foundation is another. This varied learning experience helps prepare our team for future career advancement when those opportunities present themselves. Incoming talent wants to be set up for success, and we actively work with them to reach their goals, not just for the good of Foothill Transit, but for the industry as a whole."

Nuria Fernandez, GM/CEO
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
San Jose, Calif.

Nuria Fernandez, GM/CEO of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

"VTA has a multi-faceted approach to ensuring we have talented, dedicated professionals filling our ranks for the long term. Working with community partners, we offer paid internships that provide meaningful hands-on work experience focusing on VTA project-driven initiatives in a variety of disciplines. For full-time positions, targeted recruitment includes social media outreach, job fairs, and interactive vocational presentations at schools. VTA is also engaged in a regional workforce strategy that promotes the next generation of transportation leaders and employees in support of Bay Area communities."

More Management

Managementby StaffMarch 19, 2026

People Movement: The Latest from TARTA, STV, and More

METRO’s People Movement highlights the latest leadership changes, promotions, and personnel news across the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility sectors.

Read More →
A BART railcar
Managementby StaffMarch 19, 2026

BART Monetizes Empty Parking With New Online Leasing Tool

BART began offering select parking lots to non-BART riders to generate new revenue to help address its FY27 $376M operating budget deficit brought on by remote work.

Read More →
MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber sits with a customer service employee and takes calls.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 19, 2026

Transit Agencies Nationwide Celebrate 2026 National Transit Employee Appreciation Day

Agencies across the U.S. honored transit workers on March 18, recognizing the essential roles they play in keeping communities moving daily.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Cover for METROspectives with Inez Evans Benson
ManagementMarch 18, 2026

Inez Evans-Benson on Leadership and the Future of Transportation

Drawing on decades of industry experience, Evans-Benson offered insights into the differences between the two, along with tips for better customer engagement and more.

Read More →
An RTC of Washoe County bus driving down Virginia Street.
Managementby StaffMarch 18, 2026

Keolis Lands 3 Contract Renewals

The renewals include continued operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida; the PRTC in Virginia; and RTC Washoe in Nevada.  

Read More →
A MARTA employee using the new Better Breeze fare ticket machines.
Managementby StaffMarch 17, 2026

MARTA’s New 'Better Breeze' Fare System Nears Launch

The new system introduces tap-to-pay, touchscreen kiosks, and updated Breeze cards, with both old and new systems running through May.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A wide angle view of two MTA buses with three people walking between them.
Managementby StaffMarch 16, 2026

Proposed Auto Insurance Reform Would Save New York’s MTA Millions Annually

The governor’s proposed auto insurance reforms could save the agency $48 million annually by limiting payouts in crashes where buses are not primarily at fault.

Read More →
paratransit bus
SponsoredMarch 16, 2026

Measuring the True Cost of Paratransit Fleets

What truly drives the cost of a paratransit fleet? Beyond the purchase price, seven operational factors quietly determine maintenance frequency, downtime, and long-term service reliability. This whitepaper explores how these factors shape lifecycle cost and what agencies should evaluate when selecting paratransit vehicles.

Read More →
Cover photo for METROspectives with The Bus Coalition
Busby Alex RomanMarch 13, 2026

Inside The Bus Coalition’s Push for Stronger Federal Transit Investment

In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Amanda Wanke
Managementby StaffMarch 13, 2026

Des Moines DART CEO Joins Minneapolis Metro Transit

Amanda Wanke, who has worked at DART for 10 years, including the past 2½ years as CEO, will join Metro Transit as deputy chief operating officer, operations administration.

Read More →