JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority board of directors selected Cleveland Ferguson III to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer as it searches to replace former CEO Nat Ford, who announced his resignation in July.
Ferguson served in several executive leadership roles since joining JTA in 2015, including his most recent roles as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the past three years.
“Cleveland is an experienced leader with a clear understanding of the organization and a plan to guide the JTA through an important budget cycle,” JTA Board of Directors Chair Aundra Wallace said. “He also has strong relationships with employees throughout the organization and with our community partners. That experience and continuity will serve the JTA well during this transition.”
Since announcing his resignation, Ford accepted the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), where he will begin serving in late October.
JTA board members said the agency hired KL2 Connects, an executive search firm specializing in the public transportation industry, to conduct a national search for the authority’s next CEO.
The Board anticipates selecting a permanent CEO by the end of 2026 or in early 2027.
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“I am grateful to the JTA Board of Directors for the opportunity to serve the Authority in this role,” Ferguson said. “I care deeply about our customers, our employees and our community ... Throughout this transition, we will remain focused on delivering safe, reliable transportation and serving Jacksonville and communities throughout Northeast Florida.”
According to a JTA news release, as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Ferguson oversaw key initiatives, including public-private partnerships that supported transit-oriented development, advancing initiatives addressing food access and expanding the use of data science and analytics within the organization.
Before joining the JTA, Ferguson served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Jacksonville from 2012 to 2015 and as a tenured professor at Florida Coastal School of Law.
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