Description

ABOUT MPTA:

Created through North Carolina's landmark Projects for Advancing Vehicle-Infrastructure Enhancements (PAVE) Act, the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA) has been entrusted with delivering a bold vision for mobility, economic opportunity, accessibility and regional connectivity throughout Mecklenburg County and the greater Charlotte region. It is worth noting that voters were asked to approved the tax, not specific transportation plans.

The voter-approved initiative provides a projected $19.4 billion transportation investment program for transit over the next 30 years that will expand mobility options, modernize transit infrastructure, strengthen regional connectivity, provide greater access to transit dependent riders, and support continued economic growth for decades to come. As a newly established independent regional transit authority, separated from the City of Charlotte, the MPTA will guide one of the most ambitious transportation programs in the Southeast while helping shape the future of mobility for generations of residents, businesses, and visitors.

The MPTA is governed by a 27-member Board of Directors representing communities and stakeholders from across Mecklenburg County and the state. The Board includes transit riders, small business leaders, and professionals with expertise in finance, engineering, planning, law, real estate development, and related disciplines. Through its Executive, Operations and Safety, Planning and Capital Project Delivery, and Finance and Audit Committees, the Board provides strategic direction and oversight for one of the region's most important public transportation investment organizations.

The MPTA builds upon nearly five decades of public transportation service in the Charlotte region. Charlotte Transit began operating bus service as a department of the City of Charlotte in 1976, and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) was established in 2000 to lead the region's transit within the City of Charlotte. Today, that system includes an extensive multimodal network of bus, light rail, streetcar, paratransit, vanpool, and microtransit services and serves as the largest public transportation system between Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

The process has begun to transfer employees and assets from the City of Charlotte to the MPTA which will oversee the delivery of bus, rail, paratransit, microtransit, and other mobility services throughout Mecklenburg County and eventually the Charlotte region. Current public transportation services operated by CATS are provided through acombination of employees employed directly by CATS and a nonprofit corporation known as Transit Management of Charlotte (TMOC). Bus operators, specifically, are contracted and employed by TMOC and represented by SMART Transportation Division Local 1715, the exclusive collective bargaining unit for bus operators. rail, paratransit, maintenance, administrative, and other transit personnel operate under separate employment and management structures and are employed directly by CATS.

As the region transitions from the City of Charlotte to the newly created MPTA, the Authority's leadership will be responsible for maintaining strong relationships with employees, labor representatives, contractors, and operating partners while ensuring the continued delivery of safe, reliable, customer-focused transit services.

The creation of the MPTA marks the next chapter in that evolution of transit for the Charlotte region. By transitioning from a city-operated department to an independent regional authority, the MPTA will build upon a strong operational foundation while striving to become the nation’s premier transit authority, pushing the region to cultivate educational and training institutions focused on innovative transit solutions that will foster generations of talent focused on public transit services designed to meet the needs of one of America's fastest-growing metropolitan regions.

MPTA TRANSITION MISSION STATEMENT:

Through safety, reliability, transparency, and accountability, MPTA earns the confidence of the region it serves. We connect people to opportunity, strengthen regional prosperity, and build a transit system that the region will trust, value, and support.

ABOUT THE REGION:

Located within Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the City of Charlotte has emerged as one of the nation's most dynamic and desirable metropolitan areas in the nation. Home to nearly one million residents and located within a metropolitan region approaching three million people, Charlotte continues to attract new residents, employers, and investment at an exceptional pace.

The region offers an exceptional quality of life, combining economic opportunity, affordability, and outstanding community amenities. Charlotte's economy is powered by nationally recognized employers in finance, healthcare, energy, technology, manufacturing, and logistics. Residents benefit from excellent public and private schools, respected higher education institutions including the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Davidson College, Johnson C Smith University, Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson and Wales University Charlotte and Queens University of Charlotte, and a cost of living that remains attractive relative to many peer metropolitan areas.

Beyond its economic strengths, Charlotte offers a vibrant lifestyle that appeals to individuals and families alike. Residents enjoy major and minor professional sports, including the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, Charlotte FC, Charlotte Knights, and Charlotte Checkers, a thriving arts and cultural scene, diverse dining and entertainment options, and extensive outdoor recreation opportunities. Hundreds of miles of greenways, walking and biking trails, nearby lakes, and convenient access to the Blue Ridge Mountains contribute to a quality of life that consistently ranks among the best in the Southeast.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Reporting directly to and at the direction of the MPTA Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as the Authority’s chief strategic leader and principal public representative. The CEO is responsible for all aspects of organizational leadership, including operations, safety, capital program delivery, administration, financial stewardship, workforce and business development, risk management and regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, innovation, and long-range strategic planning.

The CEO will work closely with the board, municipalities, local, state and federal government officials, community organizations, business stakeholders, riders, employees, and regional partners to advance a shared vision for transportation and regional prosperity. The successful candidate must be equally comfortable serving as strategist, coalition builder, diplomat, communicator, innovator, and most importantly an operational executive. Through the delivery of safe, reliable, accessible, affordable and timely transit operations, the next CEO will help shape economic development patterns, improve access to opportunity, support workforce mobility, advance transit-oriented development, and enhance quality of life throughout the region.

SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The inaugural CEO will be expected to:
• Establish the identity, credibility, and culture of the newly created Authority.
• Build trust among the Board, municipalities, riders, employees, elected officials, business leaders, and community stakeholders.
• Deliver safe, reliable, and customer-focused transit services while advancing transformational investments.
• Build trusting relationships and provide support, mentorship, training and leadership to the Authority’s employees during this period of transition to ensure that they are empowered to deliver the highest quality of services possible.
• Strengthen relationships with regional, state, and federal partners.
• Create and manage a high-performing leadership team capable of executing a generational transportation vision. Position Charlotte and Mecklenburg County as a national leader in mobility, transportation innovation, and transit-oriented economic development.
• Demonstrate that transportation investments can improve access to opportunity, support economic growth, and enhance quality of life for all residents.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Provide visionary leadership for the Authority and establish MPTA as a premier national mobility organization that offers safe, secure, reliable, customer focused, timely, affordable, and accessible transit services to its customers.
• Partner closely with the board to translate policy direction into measurable outcomes that positively impact and enhance the quality of life in the region.
• Direct the day-to-day operations of the MPTA in accordance with established board policy and applicable laws.
• Develop, execute and deliver transit services through strategic initiatives that advance mobility, economic development, and long-term regional growth while constantly considering new technologies, and cost-effective alternative service delivery options consistent with the organizations mission.
• Build and promote a culture of operational excellence, accountability, transparency, inclusion, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Strengthen public confidence through exceptional service delivery and responsive leadership.
• Oversee planning, financing, and implementation of one of the nation’s most significant transportation investment programs while continuing to deliver high- quality transit services to customers.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and oversee enterprise-wide risk management, safety, security, and compliance programs, ensuring adherence to applicable federal, state, and local regulations while proactively identifying, mitigating, and monitoring operational, financial, legal, and reputational risks.
• Advance major mobility initiatives, including the Gold Line Streetcar Program, the Better Bus Program, Red Line, Silver Line, and future multimodal investments.
• Ensure projects are delivered responsibly, efficiently, and in alignment with board priorities.
• Build productive relationships with elected and local leaders at the local, state, and federal level.
• Navigate a complex governance environment involving multiple jurisdictions, municipalities, and stakeholder groups.
• Serve as a trusted ambassador and advocate for the Authority in the media and in public settings.
• Develop, and submit for board approval an annual budget that meets the organizational needs of MPTA.
• Serve as the lead champion of the MPTA and its successes at a local, state and national level to obtain support, funding, and other services needed to build a world-class organization and transit system.
• Foster innovation while maintaining operational discipline and fiscal responsibility.
• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing executive leadership team and workforce.
• Develop organizational capacity and succession strength for long-term success.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:

The ideal candidate will have the following leadership characteristics and executive capabilities:

Leadership Characteristics:

• Visionary and future-focused.
• Transformational and entrepreneurial.
• Politically astute and diplomatically skilled.
• Collaborative and consensus-oriented.
• Innovative and intellectually curious.
• Courageous, decisive, and resilient.
• Ethical, authentic, and transparent.
• Customer-focused and community-minded.
• Grounded, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented.
• Problem solver and solutions-based leader.
• Steady, composed, and mission-driven leader.
• Provides a calm and steady presence during periods of change and complexity.
• Demonstrates sound judgment, emotional maturity, and consistency under pressure.
• An even-tempered executive who inspires confidence through thoughtful decision-making.
• Leads with discipline, patience, and unwavering commitment to the mission and vision.
• Maintains perspective and composure while navigating complex political, operational, and stakeholder environments.
• A trusted and credible leader who balances urgency with deliberation.
• Exhibits executive presence, resilience, and steadiness in both routine operations and high-pressure situations.

Executive Capabilities:

• Proven ability to lead large, complex, multi-disciplinary organizations through periods of growth, change, and heightened public visibility while maintaining operational excellence and organizational alignment.
• Demonstrated success overseeing substantial operating budgets, long-range financial plans, and multi-billion-dollar capital investment programs with a commitment to transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
• Skilled in partnering with governing boards, elected officials, and executive leadership teams to establish strategic direction, support effective governance, and achieve organizational objectives.
• Recognized for exercising thoughtful decision-making, balancing competing priorities, and serving as a steady, trusted leader focused on long-term organizational success and public trust.
• Experience guiding organizations through significant transformation by aligning people, processes, culture, and strategy to deliver measurable and lasting results.
• Exceptional ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and align diverse stakeholder interests across governmental, business, community, labor, and institutional partners.
• Credible and effective public-facing leader who communicates with clarity, confidence, and authenticity while representing the organization before the public, media, and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to remain composed, decisive, and mission-focused during periods of uncertainty, crisis, operational disruption, political complexity, or public scrutiny.
• Commitment to attracting, developing, empowering, and retaining high-performing teams while fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to translate ambitious long-term goals into actionable priorities, organizational alignment, and measurable outcomes that advance the mission and strategic objectives of the organization.
• Recognized for exercising thoughtful decision-making, balancing competing priorities, and serving as a steady, trusted leader focused on long-term organizational success and public trust.

The board seeks a transformational leader who combines strategic vision with practical execution. This individual must assist with transitioning all transit services from the City of Charlotte to the MPTA and ensure that these services continue without interruption and that employees are provided with the tools, resources and support needed to perform at the highest level possible. This individual must be capable of navigating a highly complex governance environment while maintaining focus on long-term regional outcomes. The successful candidate will possess the credibility to work effectively with elected officials, business leaders, labor representatives, advocacy groups, transit riders, and governmental partners while building consensus around a shared regional vision.

The board welcomes candidates who have successfully led large, complex organizations in public transportation, transportation infrastructure, public administration, economic development, healthcare, utilities, higher education, financial services, military service, or other public, quasi-public, and private sector organizations of significant scale and complexity.

TO APPLY:

To submit a resume and cover letter, please reach out to Gregg Moser, Partner at K&A, at [email protected].

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; advanced degree preferred. Experience leading a large complex organization in lieu of a degree may be considered.
Ten or more years of progressively responsible executive leadership experience.
Demonstrated success leading large organizations, major capital programs, and complex stakeholder environments, preferably in public transportation, is desired.
Experience working with governing boards, elected officials, and public-sector stakeholders.
Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams.
Experience leading organizational transformation, culture change, and strategic initiatives.
Strong financial management, planning, and performance management capabilities.