Management

Paul Ballard to serve as NCTD interim executive director

Aug. 15, 2023

Ballard is a transit executive who will help manage the operations of NCTD between the retirement of existing Executive Director Matthew O. Tucker and a new permanent leader.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

Paul Ballard will join NCTD as interim executive director in August.

Paul J. Ballard will begin as the interim executive director of North County Transit District (NCTD) on Aug. 28. NCTD Board of Directors appointed Ballard following the planned retirement of long-time Executive Director Matthew O. Tucker.

Ballard served as the CEO of the Nashville Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee before becoming president and CEO of Trinity Metro in Fort Worth, Texas. He retired from Trinity Metro in April 2019 and has become the transit industry’s go-to manager to help bridge management of the agency between permanent executives. He served as interim general manager for the Regional Transportation District of Denver between February and November 2020. He also returned to Trinity Metro in 2021 as interim president and CEO following the retirement of Robert Baulsir.

This week, the American Public Transportation Association said Ballard was one of six transit professionals to be inducted into the association's Hall of Fame in 2023.

Ballard’s four-month contract will include the oversight of operations for NCTD, as well as support of the NCTD Board during its executive director selection process.

“We are very pleased to have identified someone with Mr. Ballard’s executive-level experience to help guide the district in the coming months as the board conducts a process for the selection of a new executive director,” said NCTD Board Chair Jewel Edson. “Paul will be a valuable resource for NCTD’s Board and its employees during this transition.”

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director

Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.

Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. 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 served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.