Like many in the industry, Amanda Barlow didn’t begin her career thinking she’d go into public transit, but she believed any path she chose would be rooted in making a difference. Barlow started out in human services where she supported people with complex needs as they navigated through uncoordinated systems. This experience shaped how Barlow views transit—system failures result in real impacts. She centered this perspective as she stepped into her first transit leadership role overseeing non-emergency medical transportation training and compliance. In this role, she managed contracts, coordinated service delivery, and navigated funding and compliance structures.  

After seeing firsthand how transit directly connects to quality of life, Barlow dove straight into the industry and accepted an executive role at the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA). During her tenure at GATRA, she served in a training and compliance role, then as deputy administrator and later interim CEO, becoming the first woman and openly LGBTQIA+ person to hold an executive role in the organization. As deputy director, Barlow carried through an initiative she started in her training and compliance role to address a lack of consistent driver training. She took the initiative to develop and implement a learning management system, creating a universal online driver training program to help address the knowledge gap and driver shortage. She ensured the program could be sustained long-term, cementing consistencies in onboarding, expectations and performance across the workforce.   

Barlow continued to progress her transit career, building upon her agency experience to working at community-based organizations, private operators and transit technology companies. Today, she’s the co-founder and principal consultant of Cardinal HR Solutions, where she provides training, workshops and webinars across the public and private sector for transit professionals. In just over a year, she’s led the expansion of the business from a traditional human resources consulting firm into a growing, person-focused organization that supports transit agencies, associations and industry partners. She’s been the driving force behind Cardinal’s evolution into the public transit space, identifying a clear need to better align workforce, operations and leadership. During the 2025 federal reduction in force, she led pro-bono workshops, one-on-one coaching, resume development and interview preparation for people who were laid off from the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.   

She also developed Cardinal’s Trust Before Tech framework, which aims to help organizations achieve buy-in from all stakeholders before investing in new technology. This approach focuses on building trust, engagement and alignment across the workforce so that new tools and approaches are actually used and sustained over time while ensuring they help people thrive. 

Through Cardinal Solutions, she’s worked with the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Women’s Transportation Seminar, the Florida Department of Transportation and others, where she developed and delivered programs focused leadership, communication and workforce development. For example, in 2025, she was the team lead and co-authored a new curriculum for the CTAA’s Leadership Academy. She taught the previous program and delivered it again this past year with the new curriculum, resulting in positive student feedback. In addition to her work with CTAA, she sits on APTA’s Transit 101 Advisory Committee, LGBTQ Resource Group and the Workforce Development Committee.     

As conversations continue about workforce development, Barlow is committed to advancing innovation that centers the people in transit. Her goal is to develop tools and frameworks so professionals at all levels can enhance collaboration across roles, organizations and sectors. In addition to her work, Barlow returned to school this past year and graduated with her degree in the spring. 

Is there a specific experience that led you to where you are today? 

I have spent nearly two decades in public service, across both transit and nonprofit work, and I noticed that the focus on developing people, building teams and addressing culture is always the first thing pushed to the back burner. In transit, the day does not stop; service has to run; and problems have to be solved right away. However, over time, not prioritizing your people shows up in burnout, workforce shortages and difficulty building the next generation of leaders. That experience shaped the work I do now. I have seen the industry from multiple points of view, and it’s inspired me to leverage both perspectives to become an advocate and resource for organizations to support them in surfacing gaps and developing and growing their employees. 

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

I enjoy connecting with people, listening to their experiences and finding the common threads across very different organizations. Through training, consulting and partnerships, I have had the opportunity to get to know professionals from more than 50 transit organizations across North America. While every agency has its own specific struggles, many of the overarching challenges and successes are shared.  

What’s the most challenging part of your job? 

One of the most challenging parts has been proving that age is just a number. In an industry where years of service are often viewed as the main measure of credibility, I have had to show that values, purpose, lived experience and the ability to connect with people also matter. I respect the depth of experience when it comes to years of service, but at the same time, I think young leaders bring important perspectives—especially when they are mission-driven, willing to listen and committed to doing the work. Earning respect while continuing to grow has been a challenge but is also a motivator! 

What is the accomplishment you’re most proud of and why? 

I am especially proud of the initiative I developed in response to the significant federal workforce cuts that impacted transportation professionals in 2025. I wanted to do something useful, even in a small way. Cardinal began offering pro-bono support to people whose positions were eliminated and had to immediately navigate an unexpected career transition. We also partnered with WTS Boston to deliver a webinar series focused on helping professionals update their resume, prepare for interviews and approach networking with more confidence.

What is your best advice you can share from your area of expertise? 

Do not underestimate the value of a meaningful conversation. Words matter and attentiveness matters. Our industry events and big conferences are fun and exciting, but some of the most impactful moments happen in one-on-one quiet conversations. Genuinely engaging with someone can have an enormous positive impact on transit and beyond. The people who power our systems are just as important as the people we're moving.