The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors interviewed three finalists for the position of General Manager and Chief Executive Officer at a special meeting Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, and anticipates selecting the Authority's permanent GM/CEO at its regularly scheduled board meeting Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.

The Aug. 10 interviews were the culmination of a national search to identify a permanent successor to lead MARTA, one of the largest public transit systems in the United States. Jonathan Hunt has served as Interim GM/CEO since August 2025.

"Choosing MARTA's next GM/CEO is one of the most consequential decisions this board will make, and the region deserves a rigorous process. I'm proud of the national search we ran and of the caliber of the three finalists it produced." said Jennifer N. Ide, Chair of the MARTA Board of Directors, who is leading the GM/CEO search.

The Search Process

MARTA retained national executive search firm Diversified Search Group (DSG) to conduct the GM/CEO search following a competitive selection process. Over the course of the engagement, DSG worked with the search committee comprised of board members from each jurisdiction to develop a thorough position description, lead a national candidate outreach and sourcing effort, screen and vet candidates, design a structured interview process, and facilitate the search committee's finalist interviews.

The search was national in scope. DSG conducted a comprehensive outreach campaign across the transportation sector spanning public transit agencies at the federal and state levels, airports and airlines, freight and passenger railroads, port authorities, and logistics organizations, identifying and contacting over 250 candidates.

The DSG engagement has been led by Kevin Kelly, Managing Director and Industrial Practice Leader; J. Veronica Biggins, Managing Partner and Board Practice Co-Leader; Carla Logan, Managing Associate; and Nancy Reese, search coordinator.

"This was a national search in every sense of the word," said Al Pond, Chair-Elect of the MARTA Board of Directors, who co-led the search. "DSG cast a wide net across the transportation industry and beyond, and this board was deliberate at every stage. These three finalists rose to the top of a deep and competitive field, and I believe any of them could lead MARTA well."

"I'm grateful to my fellow board members and to our partners at Diversified Search Group for the care they've brought to this search. We intend to take the time to get this decision right," said Ide.

The Role

The search was grounded in a position description adopted in February 2026, which called for a visionary leader with executive-management experience ideally in mass transit or a related transportation field, and a proven record of building and leading high-performing teams. The profile emphasizes success overseeing large-scale capital projects, deep acumen in business administration and fiscal oversight, and the ability to navigate a complex landscape of government, community, and stakeholder interests whose priorities are not always aligned. It called for a leader committed to safety, customer service, fiscal responsibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, and holding the highest standards of personal accountability and integrity.

MARTA's GM/CEO reports to the Board of Directors and leads an executive team spanning operations and urban planning, finance, administration, capital programs, safety and quality assurance, legal, and customer experience.

The Finalists (in alphabetical order)

Cleveland Ferguson III is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), a role he has held since 2023 after joining JTA in 2015 and serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. He leads the authority's administrative operations, strategic planning, and economic development initiatives, including public-private partnerships and transit-oriented development, and founded JTA University, the agency's workforce-development program. He previously served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Jacksonville and spent a decade as a professor of law at Florida Coastal School of Law. He holds a bachelor's degree in legal studies from Nova Southeastern University and a Juris Doctor from Florida State University and is a member of the Florida Bar and the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jonathan J. Hunt has served as MARTA's Interim General Manager/CEO since August 2025. He joined MARTA in 2014 and spent more than a decade in the authority's legal department as Chief of Corporate Law and Real Estate, then Deputy Chief Counsel, and ultimately Chief Legal Counsel before being named Interim GM/CEO. Earlier in his career he was a Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, handling aviation matters for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, practiced law at Denton’s and Baker & Hostetler, and was a project engineer with Gilbane Building Company. Hunt serves on the national board of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and chairs its Legal Affairs Committee. He holds a bachelor's degree from Hampton University and a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Leroy Jones is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), a role he assumed in 2025. Over more than 26 years at WMATA, he rose from an entry-level track laborer through a series of operations and maintenance roles including Superintendent of Track Maintenance, Vice President and later Senior Vice President of Bus Services, and Chief Transportation Officer before being named Chief Operating Officer, where he oversees the authority's bus and rail operations. He holds a Master of Science in Public Administration from Central Michigan University.

Next Steps

Following the Aug. 10 finalist interviews, the board will convene for its regularly scheduled board meeting Aug. 13 and expects to deliberate in executive session as permitted by law. The board anticipates it will select and announce the permanent GM/CEO at that meeting.