One word to describe yourself: Resourceful
Alma Mater: Texas Christian University; Texas Woman's University
Fast fact about yourself: I love working in my yard. There’s something about being outside and working that helps clear my mind—and that’s where my best ideas happen.
What’s your best experience on transit and what made it memorable? My most rewarding transit experiences come from showing others just how easy and convenient public transportation can be. I love witnessing their amazement when they realize how simple and cost-effective taking public transportation is for getting around the city and region.
Eva S. Williams’ transit career began at Trinity Metro in 2020, where she has since steadily developed her career in technical expertise and thoughtful leadership. Starting as a grants analyst, she moved into management and now serves as the director of budget and grants. In each role, she’s taken on new challenges. For instance, she’s implemented stronger financial controls, improved grant management systems, strengthened relationships with internal and external partners and launched finance training initiatives to improve compliance and financial stewardship across the organization.
In her current role, Williams manages everything from multi-year budgeting to compliance with federal funding requirements. Her work has led to stronger internal processes, better reporting and increased transparency across the organization. However, colleagues say what sets Williams apart is how she’s turned a traditionally behind-the-scenes function into a strategic partner for the organization. Today, she plays a key advisory role to executive leadership and helps manage relationships with funding partners, making sure every dollar supports the agency’s long-term goals of connecting people to life.
Williams’ impact in finance at Trinity Metro has led to building systems that not only make things run more smoothly but also lead to a better transportation network for the community. She’s helped shift how the agency approaches finances and grant management. She’s improved relationships internally and externally, revamped reporting methods and made smarter use of data—all of which have helped the agency budget more efficiently, get the most out of its grants and stay on top of federal funding requirements.
She also helped launch and now leads Trinity Metro’s Efficiency Taskforce, a cross-functional core team and initiative focused on finding practical ways to improve operations, use resources more effectively and strengthen compliance. Under her leadership, the task force has identified key opportunities to streamline processes, boost collaboration across departments and reduce waste.
However, one of her other standout contributions has been creating more structured communication around finance. She established quarterly agency-wide finance meetings and monthly department-level check-ins to keep everyone aligned on budgets and funding updates. This approach has improved transparency, accountability and reinforces that resources are being used effectively to support both day-to-day operations and long-term improvements.
In addition to her contributions at work, Williams remains dedicated to engaging with the industry at large. Most recently, she completed the 2025 American Public Transportation Association Emerging Leaders program (ELP), where she was elected by her peers to serve as one of the class representatives for the class of 2025—a role that involves serving on the ELP committee and providing support to the 2026 cohort for their capstone project.
Outside of the transit industry, Williams continues to be passionate about growing professionally while making a meaningful impact in her community. She’s an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she serves as the connections and social action co-chair and a member of the standards committee and fundraising committee for the Raising the Standard Foundation.
She also currently serves as communications vice president for the Junior League of Fort Worth, where she leads the organization’s outreach and messaging efforts to engage members and the community. This role builds on her experience from the previous year as training co-chair, during which she developed and delivered programs that helped members grow their skills and become stronger leaders that support the league’s mission of advancing women’s leadership and community impact.
She recently wrapped up her fourth term as the Place 3 representative on the city of Fort Worth Community Development Council. Plus, she stays involved locally as a member of the Lake Como Juneteenth Celebration Committee and the Lake Como Planning Committee.
Is there a specific experience that led you to where you are today?
There wasn’t just one big moment. It’s really been a mix of experiences that got me here. I’ve always had a heart for serving people and helping them get to their next best level. That’s what keeps me going: showing up and doing what I can to help others.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
A lot of people think finance is just sitting in an office crunching numbers, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about being creative with the resources we have, building relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and ultimately, making the projects come to life.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is finding ways to be creative with limited funding. It’s a balancing act to stretch resources while still making sure we maintain the same high level of service our customers rely on.
What is an accomplishment you would like to work towards in your career?
I'd like to be a part of finding a solution to better connect people across the Trinity Metro service area and expanding that opportunity across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The North Texas region is rapidly growing, and it’s so important that people can get where they need to go—whether it’s to get where they live, work or play—easily and reliably. I want to use my role in budget and grants to find innovative ways to stretch every dollar, secure new funding and continue bringing projects to life that make our transit systems more connected and accessible for everyone.
What is your best advice/tip/best practice you can share from your area of expertise?
My best advice is to always keep the big picture in mind and stay flexible. In budget and grants, things change all the time—funding comes and goes, priorities shift, and you have to be able to adapt. Keep in mind the why behind what motivates you to work in transportation. Be creative with what you have and look for ways to be financially creative. Also, focus on building your network because it's always nice to be able to phone a friend when you need assistance or want to talk through an idea.
About the Author
Megan Perrero
Editor in Chief
Megan Perrero is a national award-winning B2B journalist and lover of all things transit. Currently, she is the Editor in Chief of Mass Transit magazine, where she develops and leads a multi-channel editorial strategy while reporting on the North American public transit industry.
Prior to her position with Mass Transit, Perrero was the senior communications and external relations specialist for the Shared-Use Mobility Center, where she was responsible for helping develop internal/external communications, plan the National Shared Mobility Summit and manage brand strategy and marketing campaigns.
Perrero serves as the board secretary for Latinos In Transit and is a member of the American Public Transportation Association Marketing and Communications Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in magazine writing and a minor in public relations from Columbia College Chicago.