The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) has added four key leaders to the agency, filling important positions as the agency remains on track toward a successful 2023 and beyond.
Maurice Bell has joined the organization as chief operating officer (COO), and Sherrelle Evans-Jones is now on board as chief financial officer (CFO). In addition, DCTA has brought on Bracey Goodwin IV as director of safety and compliance, as well as David Magaña to serve as director of marketing and communications.
“It’s exciting we have retained talented, bright and experienced leaders for our team, each of whom bring a wide variety of expertise that will keep DCTA moving forward,” said Paul Cristina, chief executive officer of DCTA. “With these key leaders now in place, we can better focus our organization on the future and on improving mobility solutions for Denton County residents.”
As COO, Bell started on Jan. 9 and will guide the DCTA vehicle fleet and operations, including strategic development, planning and operational logistics. Bell has built a 30-year track record in managing and guiding transit operations, most recently providing consulting services for transit agencies in Louisville, Ky., Columbia S.C. and Indianapolis, Ind. Bell has also served as COO for the Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, as well as a two-year term as vice president of mobility solutions with Keolis North America, dedicated to microtransit and autonomous shuttle design and logistics. Bell also served five years as assistant vice president of bus operations at Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
Evans-Jones started in her position as DCTA CFO on Dec. 12, 2022, and is directing all financial activities for the agency, including accounting, financial reporting, debt and treasury management, risk and budgeting. Ms. Evans-Jones brings a wealth of financial experience to DCTA, including six years as the finance director for the city of Farmers Branch, Texas, and prior CFO roles in 20 years of experience with not-for-profit, education, public sector and corporate accounting.
Goodwin IV joined DCTA in October 2022 as the director of safety and compliance, a newly created position at the agency. In that role, Goodwin is responsible for ensuring federal requirements and DCTA’s own standards for safety and compliance are met and exceeded. Goodwin brings nearly a decade of safety and risk management expertise to DCTA, including roles with Boardwalk Paving & Construction, the Dallas Independent School District and the Central Ohio Transit Authority in Columbus.
Magaña joined DCTA in November of 2022 as director of marketing and communications, where he leads the agency’s external and internal communications, digital and social media, marketing and advertising, content creation and brand development. Magaña brings 20 years of public sector communications experience, including 15 years at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, where he served as the external communications lead, in addition to founding and directing DFW’s social media program. He also has 15 years in broadcast journalism as a television newscast producer and in newsroom management.
