This week, the board of Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) chose Debra Johnson to be its next chief executive officer and general manager. The agency was operating under an interim executive since the resignation of Dave Genova last November.

In Johnson, the RTD gets a seasoned leader with years of experience with transit agencies across the country. She is leaving her position as Deputy CEO at Long Beach Transit. Johnson previously worked in top management positions at transit agencies in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, among others.

Johnson is a member of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS). She is also an alum of Eno’s Transit Senior Executive (TSE) Program. TSE is a week-long course tailored specifically for senior-level transit managers with a strong commitment to the public transportation industry. The program helps participants prepare for the next step in their career.