This month, two stellar professionals were appointed to the top leadership position at transportation agencies in Los Angeles and Dallas.
Stephanie Wiggins will become the new chief executive of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) with the departure of Phil Washington in May. Wiggins served as deputy chief along with other leadership positions at LA Metro and was most recently CEO of southern California’s Metrolink commuter rail system. LA Metro is the third largest public transit operator in the United States, including heavy and light rail, as well as bus and bus rapid transit services. It is also the funding provider for the county’s highway projects.
Wiggins is also an alum of Eno’s Transportation Senior Executive (TSE) Program. TSE is a week-long course tailored specifically for senior-level transit managers with a strong commitment to the public transportation industry. The program helps participants prepare for the next step in their career.
Also this month, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors announced Nadine Lee as its new President & Chief Executive Officer. The agency was operating under an interim executive since the resignation of its longtime chief Gary Thomas last November.
Lee is an accomplished transit agency executive, most recently as chief of staff of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro). She also led the development of LA Metro’s 10-year strategic plan as the deputy in LA Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation. Prior to Los Angeles, Lee worked at the Regional Transportation District in Denver after stints with URS and HNTB.
She is a past director of the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International board and participated in Leadership APTA. Lee is also an alum of the Eno/MAX (Multi-Agency Exchange) collaborative leadership development program. By working together and sharing best-practices, Eno/MAX participants not only gain insight into the broader transit industry, but also build relationships and skills that will continue to serve them as future agency leaders.