METRO's People Movement covers the latest personnel moves in the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility industries. 

In this latest edition, METRO covers the latest announcements at NCTCOG, Sound Transit, GoTriangle, and more. .

Little to Lead Texas’s NCTCOG

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) selected Todd Little as its next executive director. 

He succeeds Mike Eastland and becomes NCTCOG’s third executive director in its 59-year history.

A third-generation resident of Ellis County, Little has served as the County Judge since 2019. In 2022, Little was elected to serve on the NCTCOG executive board, which has voting authority over all policy, fiscal, and vision-setting activities. 

Sound Transit Names Chief Economic Development/Civil Rights Officer

Seattle’s Sound Transit tabbed Daphne Cross as its new chief economic development and civil rights Officer. 

In this position, she will continue to lead the civil rights, equity, and inclusion department, where she has been acting chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer over the past year.

Cross has over two decades of experience at Sound Transit and brings a wealth of institutional and practical knowledge to the role. During her tenure with the agency, she’s held positions in board administration, the CEO’s office, small business and labor compliance, and civil rights, equity, and inclusion. 

Most recently, before taking the acting role, Cross served as the agency’s director of inclusive culture.

New York’s CDTA Taps Annicaro as its New CEO

Albany, N.Y.’s Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) named Frank Annicaro its new CEO.

He most recently served as sr. VP of the New York City Transit Department of Buses for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where his division provided 55,000 daily passenger trips for more than two million passengers. 

Annicaro will replace interim CEO Michael P. Collins, who filled in following the departure of Carm Basile, who retired after 43 years at the end of 2024. 

GoTriangle Names New President/CEO

N.C.’s GoTriangle, the Research Triangle region’s transit system serving Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and surrounding communities, named Brian Smith as president and CEO, effective June 1. 

Smith comes to GoTriangle after more than 16 years at Virginia’s Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), where he served 13 years in C-Suite roles, rising from an entry-level position to deputy CEO. There, he collaborated with senior managers across all functional areas for day-to-day administration and operations.

Smith joins GoTriangle at an exciting time in its history. The agency recently finalized a Strategic Plan that positions It to best serve a region experiencing tremendous population growth and transit planning challenges. The agency also recently selected the master developer for the new Triangle Mobility Hub, a transformative 19-acre, mixed-use community located within Research Triangle Park.

Forrest Named EVP/COO at St. Louis Metro

Bi-State Development announced the selection of Ronald Forrest as the next executive VP/COO of Metro Transit.

Forrest joins Bi-State Development on June 2 and brings an extensive background in transportation management and operational excellence to the position. 

Forrest, who was selected from a pool of interested candidates from around the nation, brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in public transit to his new role at Metro Transit. 

Forrest successfully led numerous initiatives at other transit agencies to enhance transportation systems and improve customer experiences. His expertise in project management and community engagement has consistently delivered results prioritizing accessibility and sustainability. His dedication to fostering collaboration makes him an excellent fit to guide Metro Transit’s future growth.

The leadership transition comes as current executive VP/COO Charles Stewart prepares to retire at the end of June.