The Regional Transportation District has named transit veteran Michael Ford its new chief operating officer (COO), a new position created to oversee all of the agency’s bus and rail operations while meeting the needs of the growing metro region.
Ford brings to RTD extensive leadership in public and private transportation in Michigan, Oregon, Washington and California. Across his more-than-30-year career in transit, Ford’s energy and passion for service led to beneficial change, secured public-private partnerships, and gained business and community support. He has deep understanding of light rail, fixed-route bus service, ADA paratransit service, vanpool and commuter bus service. Ford has worked directly with elected officials on local, state and federal levels to improve transit mobility benefiting the communities he served.
“I am pleased that Michael is joining our team in this important role,” General Manager and CEO Dave Genova said. “The insights and experience he has gained at agencies across the country make him uniquely suited to serve our customers.”
As COO — a position developed last year — Ford will oversee the assistant general managers of rail operations and bus operations. In this role, he will work with bus and train operators, mechanics and support staff to ensure that the agency’s operations are reliable, safe and clean.
Before joining RTD, Ford served as CEO of Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan, in Detroit; CEO of Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority; chief operating officer and assistant general manager of the San Joaquin (California) Regional Transit District; and director of transportation operations and executive advisor to the general manager at TriMet, in Portland. He has also held positions with Community Transit, a public transit authority in the Seattle metropolitan area, and Greyhound.
Ford earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and philosophy from Pacific University and an MBA from City University of Seattle. He is an active member of the communities where he has lived, having served on many boards of directors.
