April 30, 2022 - TRA Newswire - Tarrant County's public transportation provider, Trinity Metro, announced that Richard W. Andreski, a public transportation veteran with 23 years of experience and more than 10 years of executive leadership, has been selected as the next president and chief executive officer for the agency.
Andreski previously served as the Bureau Chief for Public Transportation for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) since 2015. In this capacity, he oversaw public transportation in Connecticut and had an operating budget of $850 million and a team of 110 planners, engineers, and rail and transit professionals. The Connecticut DOT includes 22 transit providers that serve 80 million people annually.
His many responsibilities included CTfastrak bus rapid transit, one of the country’s premier BRT lines, and New Haven Line, the nation’s busiest passenger rail line. He was accountable for capital programs to maintain and improve more than $5 billion in capital assets, including BRT and rail infrastructure, rail and bus fleets, bus depots and fare systems.
Between 1999 and 2015, Andreski held a series of positions at NJ Transit. He began as a bus service planner and quickly moved up through the ranks. His roles included manager of capital planning and programs support, director of operations coordination and policy, chief of staff for rail operations and director of Trans-Hudson planning.
“After an exhaustive national search, the Trinity Metro Board of Directors agreed that Rich is the best choice for leading our agency to even greater success,” said Jeff Davis, chairman of the Trinity Metro Board of Directors. “His vast experience in public transportation and his history of building partnerships are key for the growth of Trinity Metro.”
Andreski, who will start his role on June 20, said he is looking forward to the transition.
“I’m excited and honored to be chosen as Trinity Metro’s CEO,” Andreski said. “I can’t wait to join the team so we can work together on transit solutions for the North Texas region.”
The position of president and CEO has been filled on an interim basis by Paul Ballard, who resumed leadership of the agency in November 2021. Ballard previously led Trinity Metro from 2014 to 2019, and he accepted the position on an eight-month basis to assist during the national search for a permanent replacement.
About the CEO
Andreski is motivated by a mission of public service and believes transit plays a critical role by providing access to employment, education and other opportunities, spurring economic development, and supporting a cleaner and greener future. He keeps the customer experience at the heart of every investment decision.
He is active in the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), where he was co-founder and co-chair of the APTA Emerging Leaders Program, an immersive year-long leadership development program for emerging leaders in the public transportation industry. Andreski also serves on APTA’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Committee and APTA’s Awards Committee.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Lafayette College and a Master of City & Regional Planning degree from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy at Rutgers University. He also completed the Jurisdictional Crisis Incident Management Program from Texas A&M Engineering Extension and is a graduate of the APTA Leadership Program, Class of 2009.
Photo credit: Trinity Metro