Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials have selected Jacksonville's transit leader as the agency's new president and CEO, despite concerns over a history of spending controversies.
DART’s board of directors voted 9-4 Tuesday to offer a contract to Nathaniel Ford. It comes after the board vetted three finalists in a process that involved rigorous public input.
"DART conducted the longest, most transparent president and CEO search process in the history of this agency," said board chair Randall Bryant. "We found one of the most talented, sought-out executives."
Ford previously served 13 years as the CEO for the Jacksonville Transit Authority in Florida. He’s been credited with securing $400 million in federal funds for the agency and expanding a local gas tax to invest in transit infrastructure.
His tenure was also marked by reports of excessive travel and spending. Action News JAX, a Fox station in Jacksonville, reported that Ford, who was paid more than $625,000 a year, spent tens of thousands of dollars on travel, taking 140 trips over the course of several years. He also spent more than $40,000 on travel in 2023, including a 14-day trip to Spain and a five-day visit to Hawaii, the station reported.
The station also reported in 2024 that the transit agency’s card was used to purchase massages, resort hotel bookings and photo booths.
"This candidate has been subject to level of scrutiny that’s extremely unusual," said board member Enrique MacGregor, who represents Cockrell Hill and Dallas. "These so-called red flags are not red flags ... they were just items to look into."
Several transit advocates spoke in opposition to Ford's selection before the board went into executive session.
"I think majority of ridership would agree. I think plenty on ... the board would also agree that it would be better rather than bring someone out of state," said David Yaqubian with Dallas Area Transit Alliance. "Bring someone who's familiar with Texas, familiar with the problems of Dallas."
Director Doug Hrbacek, who represents Carrollton on the board, voted against the Ford's contract.
"This candidate has informed us that they can't even start till the end of October," he said. "Therefore they will not be participating in the FY 27 budget processes."
Hrbacek called a motion to delay the hiring process, but that was turned down in 9-4 vote.
Following the meeting, directors who voted to approve Ford's contract spoke to reporters about their decision.
"All of the expenditures that were reported were done in accordance with the [Jacksonville] board," Bryant said. "They were all monthly audited after the expenditures took place. They were signed off by the board chair at the time."
Bryant added that Ford's story was confirmed by previous and current elected officials and transit board members in Jacksonville.
"He understands the political nature of what transit agencies do and how we interact with a local officials and our stakeholders," said director Michele Wong Krause. "We have seen what he brings to the table as far as funding and innovation and leadership and vision, and at this point, that's what we need. We need a different way of moving forward."
Last week, the DART board voted 9-6 to approve negotiations with an unnamed “Candidate A.” While Ford wasn’t named directly, some directors mentioned past spending controversies for a candidate that several media outlets speculated was Ford.
Previous CEO Nadine Lee announced her resignation in March. She oversaw the agency during a months-long debate over support for public transit in some of its member cities, one of which voted this spring to leave the agency.
The other two finalists for the role were Dee Leggett, director of business operations for Herzot Transit Services and former DART executive, and Monica Tellez-Fowler, president of the Central Ohio Transit Authority.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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