The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s (SFRTA) Governing Board named David Dech as the next Executive Director of the agency.

He succeeds former Palm Beach County Commissioner Steven L. Abrams, who will complete 12 years of service with SFRTA and will remain onboard for a 30-day transition period at the request of the Governing Board.

Dech comes from serving as VP, rail operations, for Capital Metro in Austin, Texas, and will begin his role as SFRTA executive director on August 15.

An executive with 27 years of experience in the rail industry in both freight and commuter rail service, Dech has been chosen to oversee the SFRTA at a pivotal time, as it prepares to expand Tri-Rail service into Downtown Miami. He brings experience in designing, constructing and opening rail yards.

Dech began his railroad career as a switchman for CSX and is a fourth-generation railroader. His career progressed through the ranks of Conductor and Engineer, to several senior management positions, ultimately landing him at Capital Metro in March 2018. In this role, Dech helped open a new downtown station and complete the construction of five passing rail sidings. When he took on the position, Capital Metro’s Positive Train Control system was still in the design phase and his team successfully completed the installation of the system four months ahead of the federal deadline, all the while maintaining over 96% on-time performance for the commuter service.