First Transit announced the appointment of Jarod Varner as regional VP, transit management.
In this role, Varner will be responsible for transit management operations and supporting current customers. Varner will also support First Transit’s business development initiatives across North America.
“Jarod brings a wealth of operational expertise from the transit agency perspective,” said Rick Dunning, sr. VP of First Transit. “He has a proven track record within the public transportation industry, specifically in rail and streetcar startup and management.”
Varner has more than 10 years of transportation experience in areas such as transit leadership, operations, maintenance, planning, external relations, and customer service. His past roles include serving as the vice president for transit and bus operations at the Denton County Transportation Authority. He was most recently the executive director of Rock Region METRO in Little Rock, Ark. He also currently serves on the American Public Transportation Association board of directors as well as the National Transit Institute Advisory Board.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.