Nathaniel P. Ford Sr.

Biography provided by participant

Nathaniel (Nat) P. Ford, Sr., Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer is a strategic, results-oriented, and visionary Chief Executive Officer with 26 years of extensive public transportation experience managing multiple lines of complex business operations, joint ventures and strategic public/private partnerships. He is a leader in the business community focused on aligning transportation needs with regional business and customer requirements through collaboration and effective communication with public, professional and business organizations. Has a proven track record of excellence in leadership, strategic thinking, solid financial acumen, creative problem solving and operational expertise. Ford joined the SFMTA in January 2006. The SFMTA is presently comprised of the Municipal Railway (Muni), Department of Parking and Traffic, San Francisco Parking Authority and the San Francisco Taxi Commission. He successfully integrated the Municipal Railway and Department of Parking and Traffic into a cohesive organization and restructured the SFMTA's leadership team to create a culture of customer focus, safety, financial and operational accountability. Muni is one of America's oldest public transit agencies, the largest in the Bay Area and seventh largest system in North America, currently carrying over 200 million riders per year. He oversees Muni's historic streetcars, modern light rail vehicles, diesel buses, alternative fuel vehicles, electric trolley coaches and the world famous cable cars, as well as bicycling, pedestrian planning and accessibility, and traffic engineering. Ford has strongly supported and implemented accessibility for all modes of transportation. He has the responsibility for over 5,000 employees, a $780 million operating budget, and a $4.8 billion 5 - Year Capital Budget. He worked to ensure the Agency's financial stability by adopting the first 2 - Year Budget, securing a transit shelter contract that will provide $15 million per year in revenue and gaining an advertising contract which resulted in a 30 percent revenue increase. He promoted efficient and effective resource management by implementing the first-ever Automatic Indexing Strategy and a reserve policy; and launched TransLink, a universal bay-area fare medium program. He led to the successful passing of Proposition A, a comprehensive transit reform including; guaranteed sources of funding; more authority over how the streets operate; and autonomy over contracting and human resources. He opened the 5.1 mile, $648 million, 18 stations, Third Street Light Rail line and Traffic Control System (SFgo). Phase 1 of the 6.9 mile, two-phase project, began revenue service in April 2007, restoring light rail service in eastern San Francisco for the first time in 50 years. He advanced the Central Subway Project, a 1.7 mile extension of the Third Street Light Rail line with 3 subway stations and 1 surface station. The Phase 2 Central Subway Project will provide rail service to the Financial District and Chinatown, the most densely developed areas of San Francisco. He is currently in the process of securing funding for this $1.3 billion FTA New Starts Project. He leads the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP), a comprehensive review of SFMTA's MUNI system to: improve overall performance, promote long-term financial stability; strengthen its ability to respond to current travel needs and provide a blueprint for future service; making transit services more attractive, economical and cost-effective. The TEP is the first comprehensive system-wide evaluation conducted in over 25 years. Ford currently serves as Chairman of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) Board of Directors, which is charged with designing, building, operating and maintaining a new Transbay terminal and surrounding facilities in San Francisco; and is a member of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which oversees the administration of Caltrain, a regional commuter rail system. Also, he serves as Treasurer, National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and Chairman of the "TransLink" Regional Smartcard Management Group. He has served on executive committees and the Boards of Directors of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Prior to joining the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency in 2006, Ford served as the General Manager / Chief Executive Officer for the Metropolitan Atlanta Transportation Authority (MARTA), the ninth largest transit system in North America. At MARTA, he was responsible for 4200 employees, an operating and capital budget totaling $792.9 million, as well as the Authority's multi-modal operations that included more than 680 buses and 120 bus routes covering 25 million miles and a rail system of 338 rail cars with 38 stations covering 48 miles of track and 23 million miles of rail service annually. Ford began his public transportation career at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit, North America's largest system. He first worked as a train conductor and progressively advanced through numerous managerial positions. In 1992, he joined the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) as an Assistant Chief Transportation Officer. After BART, he headed south to MARTA where he assumed the position of Senior Vice President of Operations which eventually led to his appointment as General Manager / Chief Executive Officer in 2000. Ford earned his Bachelor of Applied Studies in Organizational Leadership from Mercer University. He gained executive training from John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and Roberto Goizuetta School of Business, Emory University. He has received numerous civic and professional awards.