People on the Move: October 2026 | Passenger Transport

Nuria I. Fernandez Scholarship Fund Announced at 2026 LIT Leadership Summit

At the 2026 Latinos In Transit (LIT) Leadership Summit, Raquel Olivier, founder and president/CEO of Olivier, Inc. and a LIT Legacy awardee, announced a $10,000 scholarship in honor of Nuria I. Fernandez.

Fernandez’s career spans more than three decades, including service as Administrator of the FTA and Chair of APTA’s Board of Directors. One of the most respected leaders in public transportation, she was selected for induction into the APTA Hall of Fame for 2026. For LIT, Fernandez helped strengthen the -organization’s voice within the broader industry, and was presented with LIT’s highest honor, its Founders Award, in 2023.

LIT Executive Director Christina Villarreal said, “Nuria helped open doors for LIT, and now, through Raquel’s generosity, we have an opportunity to open doors for students who will become the next generation of public transportation professionals.”

The scholarship will be awarded through a competitive application process, with applications opening in January 2027.

To grow the scholarship into a lasting source of opportunity for students pursuing careers in public transportation, donations to the Nuria I. Fernandez Scholarship Fund can be made at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/nuria-i-fernandez-scholarship-fund.

DENVER, CO—Regional Transportation District (RTD) named Jimmy Vigil as its new director of safety and environmental compliance and chief safety officer. Vigil has more than 35 years of experience in public transportation, energy infrastructure, environmental compliance, emergency management, and security operations. With RTD since 2021 as manager of rail safety, he has led investigations, advanced federal compliance efforts, and coached employees to strengthen safety culture. Prior to joining RTD, he was a safety and security manager for Exxon Mobil Corp. Vigil is a member of APTA’s Bus Safety, Rail Safety, Commuter Rail, and Rail Transit committees.

RTD named Candace Smith as chief communications and engagement officer, overseeing community engagement, public and media relations, marketing, and customer care functions. Smith brings 25 years of communications experience to the role. Most recently, she served as senior associate vice chancellor for public affairs and strategic communications at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has also held leadership roles at George Washington University and at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Smith has earned numerous honors for excellence in communications, including an RTNDA Edward R. Murrow award, and is a member of several professional organizations focused on communications and public affairs.

OMAHA, NE—Erin Hunt was named HDR’s next president and chief operating officer, replacing Neil Graff, who is retiring after 35 years with the organization. Hunt has been with the organization for more than 25 years, holding leadership positions from project manager to operations manager to—most recently—president of the company’s water practice. Hunt also serves on the HDR Board of Directors.

HDR promoted Rashed Islam to professional services director for transportation. In this role, Islam will work with practice leaders to foster professional growth and technical leadership; provide strategic leadership to improve standards and implement strong quality assurance and risk management practices; and coordinate approaches to develop new technologies and transportation service areas. Islam has worked in the transportation industry for more than 30 years, mostly with HDR. Most recently, he served as HDR’s Central Region transportation director.

HDR named Jeff Stapleton as management lead of its Canada Transportation Program. In this role, he will support clients in their delivery of major infrastructure programs. -Stapleton has more than 20 years of experience leading the planning, procurement, and delivery of large-scale infrastructure programs. He has provided program management for significant transit and transportation initiatives, including -multibillion-dollar programs for Metrolinx. He has served as a senior commercial advisor and senior project manager for several infrastructure organizations.

Peter Pappas joined HDR to serve as New York/New Jersey transportation manager. He will oversee project delivery and support all transportation markets in the area, including work on transit and railroads. Pappas has more than 30 years of experience in New York’s transportation and infrastructure market, including in railroad engineering and operations. He has worked as both a railroad employee, at Metro-North Railroad, and as a railroad consultant through positions at WSP, HNTB, and STV.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—SilverRide Inc. appointed Sooketoo Bhuta as chief product & technology officer. In this role, he will accelerate work to strengthen the company’s data infrastructure and reporting, advance AI and automation, and deepen integration across the transportation and healthcare ecosystems. Bhuta brings more than 15 years of product and technology leadership across mobility, healthcare, enterprise technology, and financial services. He has led the scaling of autonomous vehicle fleet operations, and built a portfolio of cloud AI, analytics, and automation offerings, among other leading roles.

RALEIGH, NC—Onward promoted Sohayla Safley to vice president of product. In this role, she will lead product strategy and engineering across the organization’s transportation platform and drive innovations to improve access to care and expand accessible transportation options. Safley brings more than 20 years of product management experience focused on technology and healthcare innovation. She has been with Onward since 2024, most recently serving as senior director of product, where she led the development of rider self-service solutions. She is a member of APTA’s Information Technology Subcommittee.

DALLAS, TX—Dallas Area Rapid Transit named Mamatha Sparks as the agency’s new chief audit officer, replacing Chris Koloc, who retired after 20 years with the agency. Sparks brings more than 20 years of experience in public accounting, government auditing, and risk management. She previously worked at the City of Dallas Office of the City Auditor where she oversaw complex audits involving information technology, procurement and contract administration, public safety, and revenue. She is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, ISACA, and the Association of Local Government Auditors.

VICTOR VALLEY/BARSTOW, CA—Victor Valley Transit Authority appointed Esteban Rodriguez as chief operating officer. Rodriguez brings more than 38 years of public transportation experience in transit operations, safety, fleet maintenance, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning. He was most recently director of operations at San Gabriel Transit, Inc. and previously served as senior director of operations and planning at the Antelope Valley Transit Authority. He has supported special projects throughout Southern California, leading multidisciplinary teams and complex initiatives that meet FTA, USDOT, ADA, and California State requirements.

WINTER GARDEN, FL—ABC Companies appointed John Walsh as chief commercial officer. In this role, he will oversee vehicle sales, business development, customer engagement, and strategic partnerships. Walsh brings more than 30 years of experience across the bus and transit industries. In his previous executive leadership roles, he has helped drive commercial growth, business transformation, and market expansion initiatives. These include serving as chief commercial officer at Proterra, president of EO Charging Americas, president of REV Bus Group, president/COO at Davey Coach Sales, and president/CEO of National Bus.