Management

Auten to start as Lane Transit District GM/CEO in November

Aug. 18, 2022

LTD’s Board voted unanimously to approve Auten’s contract following a five-month national search.

The Lane Transit District Board approved Jameson Auten's appointment to be come LTD's new general manager and CEO with an estimated start date in early November.

It’s official: Jameson Auten will be Lane Transit District’s (LTD) next general manager and CEO with a start date in early November.

Auten was offered the position in May, but withdrew from consideration, prompting LTD to relaunch its search. With an alignment of professional and personal elements, Auten reached out to LTD expressing his interest in the position. LTD suspended its search and entered negotiations with Auten. Following the start of negotiations, LTD Board President Caitlin Vargas summed up the situation, “timing is everything.”

Not only did the timing work out for Auten and LTD, but he arrives with substantial experience advancing transit initiatives in mid-size urban environments. Auten currently serves as deputy CEO and chief operating officer at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority where he was involved in the integration of systems and networks, the development of microtransit and zero fare transit.

Before KCATA, Auten worked with the Greater Richmond Transit System; he currently serves on the American Public Transportation Association Board of Directors and serves in a voluntary role with the National Academies of Sciences.

“We are excited to have a nationally recognized transit leader of Jameson’s caliber accept LTD’s top job,” said Vargas. “All of us serving on the board of directors look forward to his arrival as we chart the path for the district to move forward to provide the transit service our communities need and deserve.”

Auten succeeds Aurora Jackson as LTD’s general manager and CEO. Jackson stepped down in August 2021 to pursue a private sector opportunity and Mark Johnson was appointed interim general manager. Johnson will resume his previous position as assistant general manager through the leadership transition.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead LTD by the board of directors. LTD enjoys a national reputation for innovation and collaboration,” Auten said. “I look forward to building relationships with LTD employees and with community members so that together we identify opportunities to implement right-sized mobility solutions that connect our communities.”

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.