As chief operating officer of WeGo Public Transit, Andrew R. Burke is focused on operational excellence, workforce development and long-term strategic planning that ensures the agency’s future success. Responsible for services including fixed route, paratransit and regional commuter options, colleagues describe Burke’s leadership style as rooted in clarity, accountability and alignment.  

When it comes to operational excellence and accountability, Burke introduced executive-level dashboards and weekly operational digests outlining key metrics, leading to more informed decision-making and a strong culture of ownership across departments. Further emphasizing his focus on accountability, he led efforts to address bus bunching, missed trips and operator availability by strengthening operational discipline, improving service delivery and aligning frontline performance with executive-level priorities. 

Turning to workforce development, Burke partnered with union leadership to develop an operator mentorship program designed to improve retention and support operators as they navigate early challenges they face when starting out. He also has his eyes on recruitment, as he’s currently overseeing early development of the agency’s state-of-the-art maintenance training program and facility. The facility has the capacity to become a regional or statewide training hub, supporting transit pipelines particularly for technical or maintenance jobs.  

Burke’s focus on long-term success is apparent through his role in advancing Nashville’s voter-approved transit plan, Choose How You Move. The plan calls for expanding services by 7% annually over the next 10 years. Burke approaches this growth with a disciplined, sustainable approach so that increases are met with the necessary workforce, fleet and infrastructure capacities. This alignment of resources ensures the agency can deliver on its promises while building trust with the community.  

In addition to service delivery and workforce management, Burke is overseeing a Zero Emission Bus Business Case to help leadership make decisions that have long-term viability when it comes to emerging propulsion technologies. While his approach advocates the importance of being future-ready, he balances this with the practicality of today’s technology limitations. 

Beyond his role at WeGo, Burke serves as chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Bus Operations Committee. He regularly moderates and participates on panels at national conferences like APTA’s TRANSform Conference, leading conversations centered on service reliability and operational performance.  

Colleagues share Burke brings a practical, operations-focused perspective to national discussions that are grounded in real-world experience and an understanding of the challenges facing the industry. 

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

My career started in college at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. It started with just needing a job to cover the cost of books. UMass Transit is predominantly student-run, with many operators and staff being full-time students. The amount of knowledge and skills I gained from this organization is still one of the best experiences I could have had entering the transit industry. Without this, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. 

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

If I didn’t say the people…I’d be crazy. This industry is unlike any other. If I had an issue or a challenge that I needed different perspectives on, there are so many industry leaders willing to offer their perspective and help. I don’t think a lot of other industries have that. In my current role, however, I absolutely love reshaping an agency to serve a growing city’s needs for more transit. It’s an ongoing puzzle that keeps me engaged. 

What’s the most challenging part of your job? 

The most challenging part of my job is the complexity of change management. We see it in other industries when an organization must take what it has done over its tenure and either keep doing the same thing or adapting to the needs at hand. That mindset is really hard for some folks because change is hard, but if we don’t adapt to the evolving needs of our communities through new infrastructure, technologies and people’s mindsets, an organization can get left behind. Growth is about embracing the unknown and preparing for the future. With the number of people relocating to Nashville and the expectations of providing exceptional service, we have a lot of growth in our future. Of course, this is one of the most challenging parts of my role, but also one of the most rewarding. 

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

One accomplishment I’m most proud of is helping reshape WeGo’s workforce culture and new operator support by working with union leadership in developing an operator mentorship program, WeGo Helping Hands Mentorship Program. The first year for new bus operators in the transit industry is one of the toughest to get acclimated to. Having additional resources and support throughout an operator’s journey is something I’m very proud of.  

What is an accomplishment you would like to work towards in your career? 

One accomplishment I’m working toward in my career is to help build a public transit organization that is recognized not just for operational performance, but for the culture. Organizations are often measured on budgets, service levels or infrastructure projects, but often miss the people element that ensures the organization is meeting those targets. As I continue growing as a leader, I hope to contribute to transforming how agencies approach workforce development, mentorship and the culture while still delivering exception service for the community. 

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

To be a good leader, you have to be a good follower and listener. To make good decisions, you need to listen to your teams, your colleagues, your customers and be able to make a well-informed decision based on that information. To execute and act on decisions, you need to take that first step, even if it’s sloppy or messy or not quite perfect yet. If you’re not making mistakes and everything is perfect, well, then you’re not learning and developing, and you are hurting your long-term development.