People on the move: NCTD, MTA

The North County Transit – San Diego Railroad (NCTD) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) have made new appointments to their respective leadership teams. 

NCTD promotes Ioni Tcholakova to director of service planning 

In her new role, Tcholakova will oversee service planning efforts to support NCTD’s mission to provide safe, reliable and innovative transportation services. 

“Ioni is dedicated to improving the region’s transit services, and we’re fortunate to have her on our team,” said NCTD CEO Shawn Donaghy. “Her leadership has already shaped key service improvements and planning initiatives, and we are excited to see her continue to advance NCTD’s vision in this expanded role.” 

Tcholakova joined NCTD in 2021 as a transit planner and has since been promoted to senior transit planner and manager of service planning. During her time at NCTD, she has led planning efforts for major service changes, conducted complex route and geographic information system analyses, coordinated stakeholder engagement for NCTD+ microtransit services and managed multiple Caltrans-funded planning initiatives focused on access, safety and mobility. 

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as director of service planning and to continue supporting thoughtful, responsible and community-focused service planning at NCTD,” Tcholakova said. “As both a planner and a transit rider, I’m committed to designing services that improve access and support the daily lives of our riders.” 

Prior to joining NCTD, Tcholakova served as a mobility solutions coordinator with the county of Hawai’i, where she supported early-stage zero-emission bus planning and developed the county’s first general transit feed specification. 

Tcholakova holds a Master of Science in sustainable urban development from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts in environmental and ocean sciences from the University of San Diego. She is a LEED Green Associate and holds a Transit and Paratransit Management Certificate from the University of the Pacific. 

MTA appoints two to leadership positions 

The MTA has appointed Frank Farrell as executive vice president of buses and Sergio Penque as the next chief procurement officer. 

“Frank and Sergio are seasoned professionals who are prepared to take bus operations and procurement to the next level starting on day one,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “2026 is shaping up to be another big year for the MTA, and I have no doubt both will deliver for New Yorkers in their new roles.”   

Farrell has served as interim executive vice president of buses since September 2025 and previously led regional bus operations within the Department of Buses. As executive vice president, Farrell will oversee daily bus operations, manage the agency’s 6,000 bus fleet and drive fleet modernization, maintenance execution and on-street performance to deliver safer, more reliable service citywide. 

“Frank’s knowledge of the entire New York City Transit system, his core values of safety and service and his understanding of how critical buses are to daily life in every borough, make him a natural fit for this role,” said New York City Transit (NYCT) President Demetrius Crichlow. “He’s the kind of leader riders want driving modernization efforts for both service and the fleet, and I’m confident under his leadership the department will deliver fast, reliable and safe service for bus riders.”    

Farrell led the implementation of the Queens Bus Network Redesign. He also oversaw service recovery efforts on Staten Island, helping drive on-time performance and customer travel times among the strongest in the five boroughs.     

“I grew up riding the bus, so I understand how vital good bus service is and what it means to truly rely on it,” Farrell said. “I’m grateful for the trust Demetrius has placed in me and my team, and we will continue looking at every way to deliver on NYC Transit’s mission to provide safe, reliable bus service across the city.”     

Farrell’s 26 years at NYCT include stints with maintenance of way at Department of Subways and served as vice president of Staten Island Railway (SIR), where he oversaw all aspects of 24/7 operations, including maintenance, service delivery, long-term capital projects, budget and finance management, safety and policy compliance. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and economics with a concentration in transportation management from Empire State College.  

Paneque brings decades of experience leading procurement operations for some of the largest public-sector organizations in the country, with a strong track record in contract management, efficiency and accountability.   

He most recently served as chief procurement officer at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), where he led procurement strategy and contracting for the nation’s largest public housing authority. Prior to NYCHA, he served as chief procurement officer for New York State, managing more than 1,400 contracts valued at over $16 billion.  

He has also held senior procurement leadership roles with New York City and the state of Michigan, where he drove initiatives that reduced procurement cycle times, strengthened compliance, improved transparency and delivered measurable cost savings across complex public portfolios.