General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
In October 2007, Beverly A. Scott, Ph.D. became General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the ninth largest transit system in the United States. Recognized throughout the industry as a progressive leader of exceptional skill and foresight, Dr. Scott brings strong vision and leadership to MARTA’s ongoing implementation of improvements and its efforts to develop a comprehensive regional transportation plan.
Dr. Scott’s career in the transportation industry spans more than 30 years and includes leadership positions with some of the nation’s largest and most notable transit organizations. (“In 2009, Dr. Scott served as the Chairperson of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), a national organization with a total organizational membership of more than 1,500 groups and businesses.”)
Dr. Scott joined MARTA after serving as General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Regional Transit District. Prior to that, she served as the General Manager of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, one of only four statewide public transit systems in the United States.
Dr. Scott’s phenomenal career in public transportation began in 1977 when she was selected as one of four national recipients of the Carnegie Foundation Fellowship at Texas Southern University. In 1979, she was named Director of Affirmative Action for then newly created Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority.
From that foundation, Dr. Scott has built a career that includes executive management positions with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, New Jersey Transit Corporation, and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority where Dr. Scott became the first woman appointed as Vice President of Surface Transit. The position carried the responsibility of overseeing the daily operation of all bus service in the five boroughs of New York City as well as Staten Island rail service.
Additionally, Dr. Scott has served as Executive Director of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), Assistant Professor of Government and Public Affairs at Tennessee State University, and also taught graduate courses at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Named a 2008 Woman of Excellence by Atlanta’s Business to Business Magazine, Dr. Scott has received numerous awards for her outstanding leadership and service in the field of public transportation. Among the bestowals are awards from the U. S. Department of Transportation, American Public Transportation Association, American Society of Public Administrators, National Business League, Women’s Transportation Seminar, Rhode Island Professional Engineers Society, Sierra Club, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the Urban League, and City Year.
Dr. Scott holds a doctorate in Political Science with a specialization in Public Administration from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Fisk University (Magna Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa).
Offices reporting to the General Manager:
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Deputy General Manager/Chief Operations Officer
Dwight A. Ferrell is the Deputy General Manager & Chief Operations Officer (DGM/COO) for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), returning to the ninth largest transit system in North America where he served as Senior Vice President/COO from 1999 to 2001. Ferrell is responsible for the oversight of the Authority’s day-to-day operations with the objective of providing efficient, safe and reliable transit service to the public. His core responsibilities include the direction and oversight of the Authority's Operations, Maintenance, Infrastructure, Police Services, Safety, Mobility Services, Labor Relations, Quality Assurance & Configuration Management, and Technical Training departments. Ferrell’s duties also include building and maintaining relationships with the Authority’s external stakeholders including both government entities and the business community.
Ferrell’s background includes over 20 years of combined public transportation leadership with proven success in effectively delivering multi-modal transportation services in large metropolitan regions. He also has successfully captured multi-million dollar savings through efficiency, productivity, quality and safety improvements. Prior to being selected as DGM/COO, Ferrell served as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) in Austin, Texas. He has held executive level positions at the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA), the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).
Ferrell is one of only twelve transit leaders to participate in the Transit Cooperative Research Program's International Transit Studies Program, which traveled to New Zealand and Australia to study "Revitalizing of Urban Public Transport.” He has been a member of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Infrastructure Workgroup since 2006. Ferrell has been a faculty instructor for the Eno Center for Transit Leadership (CTL) Executive Development Program since 2005. He currently serves on the Member-At-Large National Board of Advisors of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and has done so since 2006.
Offices reporting to the Deputy General Manager:
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Chief of Business Support Services
Theodore J. Basta, Jr., is the Chief of Business Support Services at MARTA. In this capacity, he serves as a key member of the Executive Management Team providing direction and oversight to all business units for the Authority. Mr. Basta directly oversees the activities of the Budget, Finance & Accounting; Contracts & Procurement; Human Resources, Labor Relations, Training, DEO, Employee Availability; Information Technology; Research & Development; and Administrative Services’ Divisions.
Prior to joining MARTA in March 2008, Mr. Basta spent over 35 years working for MTA New York Transit in a number of progressively responsible positions. During his tenure at MTA New York City Transit, he held the positions of Vice President, Operations Support; General Manager---Queens Division Operations; General Manager---Manhattan Division Operations; along with Chief Administrative Office and Director of Operating Budget.
In the capacity of Vice President, Operations Support, Ted directed the delivery of administrative and technical support services to all divisions and departments with the Department of Buses. Ted’s support was provided to a combined Department of Buses workforce of 14,000 employees with an annual operating budget in excess of $1.59 billion. He provided policy direction and technical control over the development of annual and multi-year strategic goals and objectives. He directed the financial development of annual operating and multi-year capital budgets, the acquisition of all materials and contract services, the identification and implementation of safety/security policies and operations–based improvement programs, and also directed the development and implementation of technology strategies that enhanced the use of information in measuring and evaluating operational performance.
As a Division General Manager in two very different operating environments, Ted was responsible for the daily delivery of bus services to between 50-100M annual passengers, with combined transportation, maintenance, supervisory and administrative staffs totaling over 3,000 employees, and with annual operating budgets between $75 and $100M.
Ted holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Dual Majors in Economics and European History, from Hunter College in New York City.
Ted is the proud father of 5 children with a loving wife, Mary, of 37 years and has two grandchildren.
Offices reporting to the Chief of Business Support Services: