People on the Move: September 2025

OMAHA, NE—HDR Global Transit Director Matt Tucker has been named to the Board of Trustees of the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) for a three-year term. Tucker joins a group of 24 nationally recognized transportation leaders in helping to steer the future of MTI. As a board member, Tucker will help shape MTI’s research portfolio, guide the institute’s education curriculum, and participate in workforce development events. He will draw on his extensive executive-level public sector experience advising transit agencies on industry trends and best practices to enhance transit service, safety, and operations. For APTA, Tucker is a member of the Board of Directors, is chair of the Legislative Steering Committee, and is a previous chair of the Legislative Committee. He serves on the Business Member Board of Governors, Public Transportation CEO Coordinating Council, and Mobility Recovery & Restoration Task Force, and on the Business Member Cyber Security and New Technologies, Commuter Rail, Bus Operations, and High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail committees, among others.

STATE COLLEGE, PA—Derek Sherman has been named chief operating officer of the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA). In this newly established role, he will supervise the fixed-route, on-demand, maintenance, and planning functions. Sherman joined CATA in 2015 as a dispatcher and advanced to fixed-route operations supervisor in 2016, where he managed the launch of the CATAGO microtransit program. He then became assistant ADA/on-demand programs manager, then ADA/on-demand operations manager.

LOS ANGELES, CA—William “Bill” Scott has been appointed to serve as LA Metro’s first-ever Chief of Police and Emergency Management. He has more than three decades of experience in law enforcement and a national reputation for reform-minded leadership. Prior to joining Metro, Scott served as Chief of Police for the City of San Francisco beginning in 2017, following a 27-year career with the Los Angeles Police Department, where he rose to the rank of deputy chief.

BOSTON, MA—Abdellah Chajai has been promoted to executive director of marketing, innovation, sustainable development, and engagement for -Keolis Group, following four years leading Keolis Commuter Services, MBTA’s operations and maintenance partner for commuter rail. During his tenure in Boston, Keolis improved commuter rail performance and ridership, and advanced decarbonization with a project to bring battery-electric trains to the Fairmount Line. Abdellah also oversaw the transition to clockface scheduling. For APTA, he is a member of the Commuter Rail Committee.

RIVERSIDE, CA—ENC has announced that John Obert has joined the company as regional sales manager for the Midwest region. A transit sales leader with more than 35 years of industry experience, Obert’s career spans multiple manufacturers, including Nova Bus, Daimler Buses North America, and Luminator. He has overseen major bus sales initiatives across North America, managed national accounts, and played a key role in shaping procurement strategies for some of the largest transit systems in the U.S.

DENVER, CO—The Regional Transportation District (RTD) has promoted Greg Smith to deputy chief operating officer of bus operations. He had been acting assistant general manager of bus operations since March 2025. In his more than two decades’ career in public transportation, Smith has managed fixed-route bus, paratransit, and demand-response services. He joined RTD in 2006 as a service planner and scheduler and progressively served in management positions within special services, contracted services, and bus operations. Smith began his career in transit in 2004 as a service planner for the Metropolitan Transit System in San Diego. For APTA, he is a member of the Bus Operations Committee.

In addition, RTD has named Brett Feddersen as its first chief information and technology officer. Feddersen brings more than 20 years of experience in IT strategy and operational management. He joined RTD in 2015 as manager of shared technical services, where he implemented device standards that reduced user wait times. In October 2023, Feddersen assumed the role of acting senior manager of IT and led the TransIT ARCHITECTED initiative—a project that improved operational effectiveness and resulted in an increase in customer satisfaction. Prior to RTD, he worked at the City of Boulder as assistant director of application services. Feddersen is a published author of project management books producing review guides and practice exams for both the Project Management Professional and CompTIA Project+ certification exams. He graduated from the Eno Center for Transportation’s MAX Program in 2022.

COLUMBUS, OH—The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has announced Dorinda McCombs as its chief LinkUS program officer. McCombs will be responsible for strategic planning, project implementation, performance evaluation, policy development, and executive oversight of the LinkUS mobility project team. McCombs most recently was associate vice president at HNTB Corporation. Prior to that, she was chief capital planning and project delivery officer for the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority in Alabama, where she helped implement BRT. She also has served as senior director of capital programming for the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority in Atlanta. For APTA, McCombs is a member of the BRT, Rail Transit, and Planning and Program Development committees, among others.

CHICAGO, IL—Ray Lang has joined Quandel Consultants to lead the firm in business development of its passenger rail services. Lang served Amtrak for 30 years, most recently as vice president of the state supported service line from 2020 to 2025. He worked with 21 partners in 18 states to negotiate annual agreements covering the operation of services on 29 different routes around the U.S. Before that, Lang worked for 26 years in the Amtrak government affairs department, including as senior director, national state relations. Lang was Commissioner of Colorado’s Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission from 2014 to 2020. From 2012 to 2017, he served as Chicago Union Station Company president, liaising between Amtrak and the City of Chicago for policy and planning.

ALBANY, NY—The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) has named Christopher Desany as COO. Desany has been with the agency for 18 years, most recently serving as vice president of planning and infrastructure. He oversees all technology initiatives, including intelligent transportation systems, ERP and scheduling systems, infrastructure, performance measurement, and project management. In addition, he manages CDTA’s operating and administrative facilities, train stations, parking structures, and shelters. For APTA, Desany is a member of the Connected and Automated Vehicle, Mobility Management, and Mid-Size Operations committees, among others.

Also, Jaime Kazlo has been named the next CDTA chief of staff. She has been with the agency for 11 years, most recently serving as director of corporate communications. Before that, she was communications manager. Before joining CDTA, she was regional director of communications for the American Red Cross. Kazlo oversees internal and external communications, community engagement, and board relations. For APTA, she is a member of the Board of Directors and is chair of the Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience Committee.

In addition, Patricia Cooper is the agency’s new chief financial officer. Cooper most recently served as director of finance and has been with CDTA for nine years. She has led financial functions, including planning and performance, grant management, budgeting, and policy development.

NEW YORK, NY—The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced the appointment of Tina Vaz as director of MTA Arts & Design, effective Sept. 18. She will be responsible for leading MTA’s comprehensive range of visual and performing arts programs, as well as design initiatives that contribute to the cultural vitality of the system. Her oversight will include Poetry in Motion, MTA Music, digital art, photography, and the Permanent Art Program, which consists of work commissioned by more than 400 established and emerging artists and has distinguished New York’s transit system with one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of site-specific contemporary art. Most recently, Vaz served as deputy director, chief brand and communications officer for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, leading communications, marketing, design, digital, and external affairs for Guggenheim New York while overseeing brand strategy for the Guggenheim’s international constellation of museums in Bilbao, Venice, and Abu Dhabi.