The Thomas G. Neusom Founders Award is the highest honor bestowed by COMTO. Ford accepted the award at the 46th National Meeting and Training Conference in Detroit.
Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., CEO of Fla.’s Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), received the Thomas G. Neusom Founders Award from the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). The award is the highest honor bestowed by COMTO. Ford accepted the award at the 46th National Meeting and Training Conference in Detroit.
The Founders Award honors public and private transportation executives and policymakers responsible for the direction and operation of their agency and who, through their affiliation with COMTO, have made outstanding contributions towards the growth and development of people of color within the transportation industry and have given continued and outstanding service and leadership to the COMTO organization.
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“I am honored and grateful to be recognized by COMTO with this prestigious award,” said Ford. “JTA is committed to workplace diversity and it is evident throughout our operation.”
Christopher Macklin, JTA’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)/Diversity Specialist received the Emerging Leader Award. The award is given to an individual who has been involved in the transportation industry for fewer than five years and has demonstrated extraordinary competence in a chosen transportation-related field by developing and improving their leadership skills and possessing a strong commitment to the transportation field and local community.
In addition, the COMTO Jacksonville Chapter received the Best Membership Recruitment/Retention Award, which is presented to an active COMTO chapter that has successfully demonstrated excellence in recruiting and retaining members. The award recognizes both creativity in strategic program development and a commitment to enhance a broad and diverse membership.
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.
