Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA) - Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

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. Voters approved a tax initiative providing a projected $19.4 billion transportation investment program for transit over the next 30 years. This program will expand mobility options, modernize transit infrastructure, strengthen regional connectivity, provide greater access to transit-dependent riders, and support continued economic growth.

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. The MPTA builds upon nearly five decades of public transportation service in the Charlotte region, transitioning from a city-operated department to an independent regional authority.

Current public transportation services operated by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) include an extensive multimodal network of bus, light rail, streetcar, paratransit, vanpool, and microtransit services. The MPTA will oversee these services and assets transferred from the City of Charlotte, maintaining strong relationships with employees, labor representatives, contractors, and operating partners.

About The Region

Located within Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the City of Charlotte is one of the nation's most dynamic metropolitan areas, home to nearly one million residents and part of a region approaching three million people. Charlotte offers an exceptional quality of life, combining economic opportunity, affordability, and outstanding community amenities.

The region'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, and a cost of living that remains attractive relative to peer metropolitan areas.

Charlotte provides a vibrant lifestyle with major and minor professional sports teams, 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 access to the Blue Ridge Mountains contribute to a high quality of life.

Position Summary

Reporting directly to 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, 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 a strategist, coalition builder, diplomat, communicator, innovator, and 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• Provide visionary leadership for the Authority and establish MPTA as a premier national mobility organization.
• Partner closely with the board to translate policy direction into measurable outcomes.
• 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.
• Build and promote a culture of operational excellence, accountability, transparency, inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee planning, financing, and implementation of one of the nation’s most significant transportation investment programs.
• Establish and oversee enterprise-wide risk management, safety, security, and compliance programs.
• 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.
• 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 at a local, state, and national level to obtain support, funding, and other services.
• 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.

Qualifications

Leadership Characteristics

• Visionary and future-focused.
• Transformational and entrepreneurial.
• Politically astute and diplomatic.
• Strong communicator and coalition builder.
• Innovative and operationally disciplined.