California's NCTD Adds New Chief of Staff, Director, Administration

Oceanside, Calif.’s North County Transit District (NCTD) appointed Mary Dover as chief of staff and Suheil Rodriguez as director, administration.

Both roles will be integral to furthering the agency’s mission and vision by supporting communities within NCTD’s service area, the board of directors, elected officials, stakeholders, and staff, according to the agency.

“As the district pushes forward on critical initiatives — including key infrastructure projects such as rail capacity enhancing projects and the transition of our rail and bus fleet to 100% zero emission — we are fortunate to have world-class members of our team to fill these critical roles,” said Shawn Donaghy, NCTD CEO. “The agency will continue to benefit from the key relationships that Mary and Suheil have established and will help shape NCTD’s next phase.”

NCTD’s New Chief of Staff

As chief of staff, Dover will serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and NCTD’s board, helping guide and implement the district’s priorities.

She will continue to be responsible for NCTD’s intergovernmental relations and will also assume responsibility for the Administrative team.

Dover has been with NCTD since 2022, serving as the agency’s government affairs officer. She has been instrumental in working with our local, state, and federal partners to advocate for funding support on NCTD’s current and long-range projects, such as the San Dieguito Double Track Phase 2 project, zero emission bus transition, SPRINTER double tracking, and several other initiatives.

Prior to coming to NCTD, Dover worked for Sen. Dianne Feinstein in her San Diego District Office. She also sits on the California Transit Association’s State Legislative Committee.

NCTD’s New Director, Administration

Rodriguez has been with NCTD since 2006, serving in many capacities at the agency, most recently as manager, administration. Her continued work on policy and procedure, quality assurance, and quality control have ensured the agency is pushing forward at every step.

Additionally, Rodriguez’ work as the clerk of the board has been instrumental in building relationships and bringing critical stakeholders to the table to help further the vision of the communities NCTD serves.

She is directly responsible for assisting with managing agency memorandums of understanding, as well as helping forge agreements with all NCTD business partners.