METRO’s People Movement highlights the latest leadership changes, promotions, and personnel news across the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility sectors.

In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at the FMCSA, HDR, SilverRide, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) board announced the selection of Jonathan Hunt as MARTA’s permanent GM/CEO.

Hunt has served as interim GM/CEO since August 2025, following the departure of Collie Greenwood, and as MARTA’s chief legal counsel before that.

In this interim role, Hunt has led the Authority through the launch of several big projects, including the redesign of MARTA’s bus network, the replacement of its Breeze fare payment system, and the implementation of the city’s first bus rapid transit line, as well as overseeing operations, safety, and customer experience during the FIFA World Cup this summer.

Hunt joined MARTA in 2014 and spent more than a decade in the Authority's legal department as chief of corporate law and real estate, then deputy chief counsel, and ultimately chief legal counsel before being named interim GM/CEO.

Hunt serves on the national board of the American Public Transportation Association and chairs its Legal Affairs Committee.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced Steve Dowling has joined the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as the agency's chief safety officer, bringing more than 35 years of combined industry and law enforcement experience dedicated to improving commercial motor vehicle safety.

Dowling joins FMCSA after serving as senior director of safety at Covenant Logistics and in leadership roles across multiple commercial motor vehicle industry organizations. While at Covenant Logistics, Dowling helped lead the company to three consecutive years of record reductions in crash rates by focusing on safety performance and operational excellence.

Before his private-sector leadership, Dowling served with the California Highway Patrol, where he rose to chief of the Valley Division. In that role, he commanded an 850-person force serving the greater Sacramento region and oversaw operations across 20 commands, a commercial vehicle enforcement facility, and three communications centers that encompassed 10 counties. He also served as Incident Commander of the Emergency Operations Center during multiple major emergencies, including the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California.

As chief safety officer, Dowling will help lead FMCSA's safety programs and initiatives, working with federal, state, and industry partners to advance the agency's mission of reducing crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving large trucks and buses while ensuring the safe and efficient movement of freight throughout the US.

HDR named Rashed Islam, PE, as professional services director for transportation and Jeff Stapleton, PE, as program management lead for Canada.

In his new role, Islam will oversee the firm’s integrated approach to infrastructure delivery, comprising dozens of transportation services delivered by more than 5,000 transportation professionals across engineering, construction, program management, environmental, planning, and advisory practices.

Based in Austin, Texas, Islam will work with practice leaders to foster professional growth and technical leadership while competitively positioning HDR in the global infrastructure marketplace. He will provide strategic leadership to improve standards, implement strong quality assurance and risk management practices, and coordinate the company’s approach to developing new technologies and transportation service areas, according to the company.

Meanwhile, based in Burlington, Ontario, Stapleton will leverage expertise from across HDR’s program management and transportation practices to support clients in the successful delivery of major infrastructure programs across Canada. He will align resources, tools, and technical capabilities to meet the evolving needs of clients across diverse markets, while helping to drive effective program governance, decision-making, and outcomes.

The program management practice that Stapleton will lead encompasses a wide range of HDR services, including engineering design, project controls, and expertise in environmental, safety, utilities, architectural, systems, facilities, traffic engineering, and other disciplines.

METRO’s People Movement highlights the latest leadership changes, promotions, and personnel news across the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility sectors.

Credit: METRO

Rajas Joshi has joined Wabtec’s Transit Power & Mobility Components business as vice president, business unit bus, succeeding Bob Gallant.

Joshi is a seasoned, results-driven executive with more than 20 years of experience leading global manufacturing operations and complex supply chains across North America, Europe, and Asia.

He brings a unique blend of large-scale corporate experience and private equity execution discipline, along with a proven ability to drive growth and create enterprise value in dynamic environments, Wabtec officials said.

Gloria M. Shepherd has joined WSP in the U.S. as a national planning and project delivery strategic advisor on the advisory and planning team.

In her new role, Shepherd provides strategic counsel on complex transportation and infrastructure initiatives, strengthens relationships with public-sector clients and industry partners, and supports planning and project delivery efforts that advance mobility, sustainability, resilience, and community outcomes across the U.S.

Shepherd joins WSP after more than three decades of leadership in transportation planning, program management, and public policy. Most recently, she served as executive director of the FHWA, helping oversee the administration of more than $350 billion in federal highway programs and working closely with state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal governments, local agencies, and national transportation partners.

SilverRide Inc. announced the appointment of Sooketoo Bhuta as chief product & technology officer (CPTO).

Reporting to CEO Jeff Maltz, Bhuta will lead the company’s product, technology, data, and innovation strategy, and own the multi-year roadmap for the platform that powers SilverRide’s assisted transportation network.

The appointment is a deliberate investment in technology, according to the company. As assisted transportation moves from a niche service to essential mobility infrastructure, SilverRide is building the platform, data systems, and automation that let it scale efficiently while improving reliability for the PACE, paratransit, and healthcare partners it serves.

Bhuta’s mandate is to accelerate that work: strengthening the company’s data infrastructure and reporting, advancing AI and automation across platform support, billing, and the customer experience, and deepening integrations across the healthcare and transportation ecosystems that surround every ride and service SilverRide offers. He will also evaluate growth opportunities in adjacent services that support aging in place, healthcare access, and community mobility.

METRO's People Movement highlights the latest leadership changes, promotions, and personnel news across the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility sectors.