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

In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at the Pace, CamTran, MCI, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.

Transdev Names Holly Arnold to Lead Strategic Growth

Transdev U.S. appointed Holly Arnold as a senior executive designated to lead key strategic growth opportunities.

The appointment of Arnold, who most recently led the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), underscores Transdev’s focus on expanding its services and capabilities, including efforts to establish a stronger U.S. passenger rail presence. To the leadership role at Transdev, Arnold brings an extensive background in managing and implementing transportation projects across both the public and private sectors.

Since 2021, Arnold has served as the administrator and CEO of the MTA, a state agency that operates the 13th-largest public transit system in America. Arnold first joined the MTA in 2012 to manage the agency’s $3.7 billion capital program. In 2019, she was promoted to deputy administrator and chief planning, programming, and engineering officer, and two years later, in 2021, was named administrator and CEO.

During her time leading the agency, Arnold oversaw the construction of a new, 16-mile light rail line, which is one of the largest transit public-private partnership projects in the U.S. She also led ridership recovery efforts, implemented a comprehensive customer experience program, directed transit modernization projects, and improved system reliability across bus, rail, and paratransit modalities.

Pace Chairman Set to Retire

Pace Chairman Richard A. Kwasneski will retire after 24 years of service on the Pace board of directors.

Kwasneski closes a distinguished chapter as Pace’s longest-serving board chairman, coinciding with the agency’s transition to a new era of regional transit governance under the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act.

His retirement comes as Pace transitions to a restructured board beginning September 1. During more than two decades on the board, Kwasneski helped guide Pace through major service improvements, capital investments, technology upgrades, and new mobility options designed to better connect people across Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. His tenure included the continued development of Pace’s family of services, expansion of innovative programs, and long-range planning efforts that positioned the agency to meet changing travel needs across a large and diverse suburban region.

As chairman, Kwasneski supported initiatives that strengthened Pace’s role as both a transit operator and a mobility innovator, including investments in cleaner vehicles, customer-facing technology, accessible service, rapid transit corridors, express service, and first- and last-mile connections. According to officials, his leadership helped advance major agency priorities, such as Driving Innovation, ReVision, Pulse, and Project Zero, as well as ongoing efforts to provide safe, reliable, accessible, efficient, and environmentally responsible service.

As part of the changes established under the NITA Act, a new regional framework is intended to improve coordination, accountability, planning, and funding across Pace, CTA, and Metra while preserving each service board’s focus on day-to-day operations and rider needs.

Pennsylvania’s CamTran Names Morley as Executive Director

The Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran) board named Kim Morley as the authority's next executive director, effective October 2.

Morley, who currently serves as CamTran's chief financial officer, succeeds Rose M. Lucey-Noll, who is retiring as executive director after a distinguished career leading the authority.

With 12 years of progressive service with CamTran’s finance and administration functions — and more than 20 years of accounting experience overall — Morley is well positioned to lead the authority into its next chapter, said the authority.

Over the course of her career, Morley has developed deep expertise in public transit finance, federal and state grant administration, National Transit Database reporting, and compliance with Federal Transit Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards. She has led financial systems and process transformation efforts, managed multi-million-dollar operating and capital budgets, and stewarded complex federal and state funding streams on behalf of the authority, said officials.

MCI Names New Academy Trainer

Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (NFI), appointed Joel Aguirre as an MCI Academy trainer.

After nearly two decades with MCI, including 14 years as a technical service manager (TSM), Aguirre brings extensive technical expertise, customer service experience, and real-world field knowledge to his new role developing the next generation of motorcoach technicians.

He began his MCI career as a service center technician after completing trade school and gaining experience in the heavy-duty vehicle industry. Over the years, Aguirre became a trusted technical resource for customers and service teams, helping troubleshoot complex issues and share solutions across MCI's network.

MCI Academy provides hands-on and classroom training designed to help technicians develop the skills needed to maintain, diagnose, and repair today's sophisticated motorcoaches. The programs support technician development while helping customers improve fleet reliability and operational efficiency.

Florida’s JTA Names Interim CEO

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) board unanimously selected Cleveland Ferguson III to serve as Interim CEO as the authority prepares for a leadership transition and conducts a national search for its next CEO.

Ferguson has served in several executive leadership roles since joining the JTA in 2015 and has served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for the past three years.

Current JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. announced his resignation in July and subsequently accepted the position of president and CEO of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, where he will begin serving in late October.

 The JTA board has retained KL2 Connects, an executive search firm specializing in the public transportation industry, to conduct a national search for the authority’s next CEO.

The board anticipates selecting a permanent CEO by the end of 2026 or in early 2027.

STV Taps New Virginia Beach VP/Area Manager

STV announced that Todd Childress, PE, has joined the firm as vice president and Virginia Beach area manager.

The appointment further strengthens STV’s local leadership team as the firm broadens its reach in one of the nation’s most active infrastructure markets, with transportation investment accelerating across Virginia.

In this role, Childress will lead transportation operations and business development in Virginia Beach while supporting STV’s broader growth across the Commonwealth. He will also serve as STV’s client service leader for the Virginia Department of Transportation, providing strategic leadership and project coordination for the firm’s work with the agency.