Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), Gateway Development Commission (GDC) and the Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran) have made new appointments to their respective leadership teams. 

HRT names next president and CEO 

HRT's governing board has named Brian Smith, a former HRT executive, as the agency’s next president and CEO. 

Smith has served the same role at GoTriangle since June 2025. He previously served in numerous roles at HRT over 16 years, including as deputy CEO from 2020 to 2025.  

“We are delighted to welcome Brian back to HRT,” said Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads Chair Hope Harper. “Commissioners were impressed with his extensive transit experience, previous contributions to our agency and knowledge of the Hampton Roads market. We are confident that his leadership and proven record of success will deliver results for our customers and the communities we serve.” 

Smith will begin his duties on Oct. 12. He succeeds William Harrell, who retired July 31 after 14 years leading HRT and 40 years of distinguished public service. Noelle Pinkard, HRT’s organizational advancement officer, will continue to serve as interim president and CEO until Smith’s return to HRT.

“I’m grateful to Chair Harper and the board of commissioners for this opportunity,” Smith said. “As a Hampton Roads native and former HRT employee, this place and its people hold a special place in my heart, and I’m excited and humbled to return in this leadership role. Providing safe and reliable public transportation across Hampton Roads is as important now as ever. Our customers are counting on us, and I look forward to advancing HRT’s mission and vision for the future.”  

JTA appoints interim CEO 

The JTA Board of Directors have selected Cleveland Ferguson III to serve as interim CEO. Ferguson has served in several executive leadership roles since joining the JTA in 2015 and has served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for the past three years. 

“Cleveland is an experienced leader with a clear understanding of the organization and a plan to guide the JTA through an important budget cycle,” said JTA Board of Directors Chair Aundra Wallace. “He also has strong relationships with employees throughout the organization and with our community partners. That experience and continuity will serve the JTA well during this transition.” 

Current JTA CEO Nathaniel Ford Sr. announced his resignation in July and subsequently accepted the position of president and CEO of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, where he will begin serving in late October. 

The JTA Board has retained KL2 Connects, an executive search firm specializing in the public transportation industry, to conduct a national search for the authority’s next CEO. The board anticipates selecting a permanent CEO by the end of 2026 or in early 2027. 

“I am grateful to the JTA Board of Directors for the opportunity to serve the authority in this role,” Ferguson said. “I care deeply about our customers, our employees and our community. This is an important moment for the JTA, and I look forward to working with our board and employees to strengthen the organization, advance our priorities and take the actions necessary to position the authority for long-term success. Throughout this transition, we will remain focused on delivering safe, reliable transportation and serving Jacksonville and communities throughout Northeast Florida.” 

GDC Board appoints next CFO 

The GDC Board has appointed Jeff Bernstein to serve as CFO. In this role, Bernstein will manage GDC’s capital and operating budgets, overseeing the commission’s accounts, payments, expenditures, funds and investments. 

“Jeff brings a rare combination of public sector financial leadership, private sector transportation experience and a deep understanding of the transit agencies serving riders in the New York City region,” said GDC CEO Tom Prendergast. “Throughout his career, Jeff has delivered time and again for riders across New Jersey and New York. His expertise will be invaluable in supporting GDC’s commitment to being responsible stewards of the funds committed to the Hudson Tunnel Project. I am proud to welcome Jeff to the GDC team and look forward to working with him to deliver this vital investment in America’s rail network.” 

Bernstein comes to GDC from Deloitte and previously led financial planning and analysis for Lyft’s transit, bikes and scooter business line and served as CFO of Bytemark. Bernstein served as deputy CFO at New Jersey Transit and held several finance- and operations-related roles at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metro-North Railroad, including director of finance, administration and crew management. 

“As someone who has spent much of my career working to improve rail transportation for riders in New York and New Jersey, I have always followed the Hudson Tunnel Project closely. It is a vital investment that will benefit millions of riders in both states and up and down the East Coast for decades to come,” Bernstein said. “This is an exciting time for the project, with construction well underway and work on newly awarded projects ramping up quickly, and I am proud to join the GDC team at such an important moment. I look forward to helping deliver the reliable, modern rail infrastructure riders deserve.” 

CamTran names next executive director 

The CamTran Board of Directors have named Kim Morley as the authority's next executive director, effective Oct. 2, 2026. Morley, who currently serves as CamTran's CFO, succeeds Rose Lucey-Noll, who is retiring as executive director. 

CamTran says that with 12 years of service with CamTran’s finance and administration functions – and more than 20 years of accounting experience overall – Morley is well positioned to lead the authority into its next chapter.  

“Kim Morley has been an outstanding steward of this authority's finances, and the board has full confidence in her readiness to lead CamTran into its next chapter. This promotion reflects years of demonstrated judgment, integrity and deep institutional knowledge of our financial operations, our funding partners and the communities we serve,” said CamTran Board Chairman Joe Slifko. 

Since joining the authority in 2014 as a rural accountant, she advanced through positions of increasing responsibility, including senior accountant, assistant controller and grants manager and co troller. As CFO, she has overseen all financial, procurement, grants and administrative functions across CamTran's fixed route, complementary ADA paratransit, shared ride/reserve-a-ride, the medical assistance transportation program and the inclined plane operations, with fiduciary responsibility to the board of directors. 

Morley has developed deep expertise in public transit finance, federal and state grant administration, National Transit Database reporting, and compliance with Federal Transit Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards. She has led financial systems and process transformation efforts, managed multi-million-dollar operating and capital budgets and stewarded complex federal and state funding streams on behalf of the authority. She has also been involved in all of CamTran’s capital projects and chairs the finance committee for the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association and represents CamTran on the Cambria County Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Committee. 

“CamTran is an essential part of this region, and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the authority into its next chapter. We have a strong foundation, dedicated employees and a community that depends on our service," Morley said. "By listening to our employees and riders, strengthening our partnerships and making thoughtful improvements, we can continue to build a transit system that our community trusts and relies on."