The Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) Board of Directors recently announced the appointment of Josh Baker as the new CEO/general manager of ATC and the DASH Bus System. Baker will take over the helm of the award winning DASH system on February 6, replacing long time CEO Sandy Modell, who will be retiring after leading the system for the past 28 years.
Baker is currently the general manager of the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (GLTC) located in Lynchburg, Virginia. GLTC is a fixed route and paratransit operation providing service to the City of Lynchburg and surrounding communities. GLTC has an average yearly ridership of nearly 3 million passengers and maintains close partnerships with local Colleges and Universities, including Liberty University.
Baker has over 17 years of experience in the public transportation industry, starting as a bus operator in college and working his way up through the Industry. He has served as the general manager of GLTC for the past two years. Prior to GLTC, Baker headed a new transit system in Radford, Virginia. Baker is a recipient White House Champions of Change award and was named to the “Top 40 under 40” by Mass Transit Magazine. He is a graduate of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
“The ATC Board is extremely pleased to have found an innovative and skilled transit leader from another Virginia transit system that is structured similarly to DASH," stated Paul Abramson, ATC Board chairman. "Josh has accomplished a number of successes in Lynchburg and elsewhere in the Commonwealth. We are looking forward to having Josh join the DASH team and build on the success of the system, and take DASH to its next level of excellence.”
The DASH system and its riders are an integral part of the City’s transit strategy. The Board will be looking to the new CEO/General Manager to assist in its continued focus on the strategic vision for DASH and to provide the necessary analysis and information for a successful implementation of that plan.