The ACES Mobility Coalition has named Joshua Schank, Ph.D., as its new executive director. He will lead the organization as it works to expand shared autonomous mobility deployments across the U.S.

Schank was selected unanimously by the coalition’s board following a national search. Board members cited his experience in public transportation, policy, and innovation as key qualifications for advancing the group’s mission.

“Joshua brings strategic thinking, deep policy expertise, and hands-on experience delivering transportation initiatives,” said Greer Johnson Gillis, senior vice president and chief infrastructure and development officer at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and president of the ACES board. “We’re confident in his ability to build consensus and help communities move pilots to scalable shared autonomous mobility solutions.”

Leadership Background

Schank is a partner at InfraStrategies LLC, where he leads work focused on innovation, strategic planning, and technology. He is also a senior fellow at the UCLA Institute for Transportation Studies and a research associate at the Mineta Transportation Institute. He will retain those roles while serving as executive director of ACES.

Previously, Schank was the first chief innovation officer at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. There, he founded and led the Office of Extraordinary Innovation and helped shape the agency’s Vision 2028 Strategic Plan. He also led initiatives including Metro Micro, Mobility on Demand, the Traffic Reduction Study, Better Bus, public-private partnerships, and first- and last-mile programs.

Earlier in his career, Schank served as president and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation and led transportation research at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He also worked as a transportation policy advisor to Sen. Hillary Clinton during the authorization of SAFETEA-LU. Schank holds a Ph.D. in urban planning from Columbia University and a master of city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“ACES represents the future of transportation,” Schank said. “I’m excited to work with the coalition’s members to help make shared autonomous mobility a permanent, integrated part of public transportation.”

Focus On Scaling Autonomous Mobility

As executive director, Schank will oversee ACES’ strategic direction, policy engagement, and member collaboration. The coalition aims to transition shared autonomous mobility pilots into permanent services that address first- and last-mile gaps and expand access.

Schank succeeds Scott Belcher, president and CEO of SFB Consulting, who co-founded the coalition. Belcher helped bring together public agencies, technology providers, and policy leaders to advance shared autonomous mobility.

“Scott laid a strong foundation for the coalition’s long-term impact,” Gillis said.