MARTA Board Names 3 Finalists for Permanent GM/CEO, Vote Set for Aug. 13
Cleveland Ferguson III, Interim CEO Jonathan Hunt, and Leroy Jones interviewed as the transit authority prepares to select its permanent executive leader.
ATLANTA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors completed final interviews on Monday with three candidates vying to become the agency’s next permanent General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, with an official selection expected later this week.
Following a year-long leadership transition, the board convened a special meeting on Aug. 10 to interview the trio of finalists. The board is scheduled to deliberate in an executive session before making a final announcement during its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Jonathan Hunt has led the transit agency on an interim basis since August 2025.
“Choosing MARTA’s next GM/CEO is one of the most consequential decisions this board will make, and the region deserves a rigorous process,” said Jennifer N. Ide, Chair of the MARTA Board of Directors. “I’m proud of the national search we ran and of the caliber of the three finalists it produced.”
The board retained executive search firm Diversified Search Group (DSG) to execute the national campaign, which evaluated and contacted more than 250 prospective candidates across federal and state transit agencies, airlines, airports, freight lines, and port authorities.
The board outlined key criteria for the position in February 2026, prioritizing executive leadership experience, capital project management, fiscal oversight, and a commitment to customer safety and equity. The incoming GM/CEO will oversee an executive team managing system operations, urban planning, legal affairs, capital programs, and finance.
The Three Finalists
The three candidates under consideration bring varied executive, legal, and operational backgrounds to the final selection process:
Jonathan J. Hunt has served as MARTA’s Interim General Manager/CEO since August 2025. He 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. Earlier in his career he was a Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, handling aviation matters for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, practiced law at Denton’s and Baker & Hostetler, and was a project engineer with Gilbane Building Company. Hunt serves on the national board of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and chairs its Legal Affairs Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Cleveland Ferguson III: Currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Ferguson joined JTA in 2015, where he founded the agency’s workforce-development initiative, JTA University. He previously served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Jacksonville and spent ten years as a law professor.
Leroy Jones: Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Jones has built a 26-year career at WMATA, starting as an entry-level track laborer before rising through management to lead the system’s bus and rail operations as COO starting in 2025.
Board members emphasized that the upcoming Aug. 13 vote represents a critical juncture for the authority as it seeks long-term leadership.
“These three finalists rose to the top of a deep and competitive field, and I believe any of them could lead MARTA well,” said Al Pond, Chair-Elect of the MARTA Board of Directors.
