RTD taps new CEO, first woman to hold position

DENVER — The Regional Transportation District has hired Debra Johnson as its next general manager and CEO, becoming the first woman to lead the agency.

In a statement, the Denver-based transit authority said Johnson will replace Paul Ballard, who is serving in an interim role after former CEO Dave Genova retired in January.

“We are excited for the people of the Denver region to meet her, and we look forward to working with Debra as she continues to elevate and position RTD as the world-class agency we are all so proud to be a part of,” RTD board chair Angie Rivera-Malpiede said in a statement.

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RTD mainly operates in Denver but also owns and operates most of the bus lines within Boulder and Longmont. It also runs bus and rail routes between the Denver metro area and Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette and Westminster.

The RTD board and Johnson have yet to come to terms on an employment agreement, but both expect to finalize that agreement by October and announce her start date shortly after.

Johnson was most recently deputy CEO of Long Beach Transit in Long Beach, California, and has previously worked across the country with transit authorities in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles County.

She joins the authority amid a projected 23.7% drop in revenue this year and a $1.3 billion shortfall expected between 2021 and 2026 as the coronavirus pandemic led many people to stay at home and avoid public transit.

Even before COVID, the authority was suggesting reducing route frequency and ending bus routes altogether, including ending the 236 Line running through the Boulder junction and all but two scheduled trips between Lyons and Boulder.

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