CEO Compass: Peer Tested Strategies for Transit Executives (Leadership APTA)

Congratulations, you made it! You’ve reached the top of your organization and now have the chance to shape the future of transportation in your region. But with leadership comes a flood of new and competing demand.

Running a transit agency means navigating a constant mix of daily crises and strategic decisions, often without a clear roadmap.

That’s where The CEO Compass: Strategies for New Transit Executives comes in.

Through candid interviews with 30 transit leaders from 13 U.S. states and Canada, we highlight the hard-earned insights that helped them lead with clarity, confidence, and impact. This guide distills their wisdom into four high-impact areas: Mobilization, Stakeholders, Connections, and Succession.

Whether you're planning your first 100 days or thinking about the legacy you’ll leave behind, The CEO Compass offers real-world leadership strategies for the industry from the ultimate experts, other transit CEOs.

Project Team:

• Jay Rank, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Co-Coordinator
• Charlotte Obodzinski, Pace Suburban Bus, Co-Coordinator
• Michael Henry, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
• Nicole Ramos, OMNITRANS
• Shanita Wilkinson, WMATA