NATHANIEL P. FORD SR.

CEO, JACKSONVILLE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, JACKSONVILLE

With 870 employees, the JTA is an independent agency that serves Jacksonville and Northeast Florida by providing Bus Rapid Transit and fixed-route bus services, paratransit services, the St. Johns River Ferry, the Skyway Automated People Mover, roads and bridge building and other mobility services. Ford has been CEO for 13 years. “We provide paratransit, ferry, skyway, bike lanes, sidewalks, bridges, roadbuilding, and soon, autonomous vehicles. if it moves people, the JTA is involved,” Ford says. He’s a passionate supporter of Goodwill Industries of North Florida and served as board chair for three years.

EDUCATION: Mercer University (BA), Jacksonville University (MBA)

FIRST JOB: I was an overnight train conductor for the New York City transit system. … As a conductor there, I served Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens boroughs, working nights and weekends, and really immersed myself in the world of transportation and public service.

INDUSTRY TREND: The shift toward integrated, technology-driven mobility ecosystems. From autonomous vehicles to real-time data platforms, public agencies are transforming into mobility innovators. Our industry is evolving from simply operating fixed routes to providing dynamic, customer-centered solutions that address economic mobility in smart, connected cities.

MENTEE IMPACT: I’m honored to say that I have guided more than a dozen leaders who have now become CEOs. To be someone who has been able to help so many brilliant minds is something I treasure.