Board of Directors
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's governing body is comprised of seven members. Three members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate, three members are appointed by Jacksonville's Mayor and confirmed by the City Council, and the seventh member is the District Two Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Members serve a four-year term with the exception of the FDOT Secretary who serves the length of his/her employment in that position and can be re-appointed for an additional four years. The board members of the JTA are not entitled to compensation but are reimbursed for travel and other expenses actually incurred in their duties as provided by law.
Aundra Wallace
Vice Chair
Aundra Wallace is president of the JAXUSA Partnership, the private, nonprofit regional economic development arm of JAX Chamber overseeing efforts of the seven counties of Northeast Florida. He directs a staff of 14 in the areas of business development, international investment, workforce development, research and marketing. JAXUSA’s mission is to be a catalyst for economic growth and maximize the region’s unique resources to aggressively recruit jobs and capital investment. Mayor Lenny Curry appointed him in February 2022.
Prior to joining JAXUSA Partnership in October 2018, Mr. Wallace served as CEO of the City of Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority (DIA). In this role, he spearheaded a diversified portfolio of infrastructure improvement projects, led economic development initiatives, invested in real estate development projects, managed the Downtown Development Design Review Board and oversaw the City’s Public Parking Division.
He holds a Master of Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Georgia Southern University. He is a Certified Housing Development Finance Professional and a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional.
Patricia Gillum Sams
Secretary
Patricia Gillum Sams was formerly manager of the Emerging Workforce Strategic department at JEA. She managed projects and programs that promoted employee engagement and branded the JEA as an employer of choice in the community.
Additionally, she is President & CEO of The Legacy Group L-A-M, LLC. Sams also serves as Founder/CEO of The Legacy League, Inc., a leadership development program designed to mentor and empower young professional women of color to positively impact their communities.
Sams has served on numerous boards and has held countless leadership roles in organizations such as Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Jack & Jill of America, Inc., and the Jacksonville Chapter of The Links, Inc. She was also in the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2021 and earned her Bachelor of Science in Communications with an emphasis on Broadcast from Florida State University.
Elaine Brown
Board Member
Elaine is a graduate of Massey Business College, Majoring in Business Administration she is married to Richard Brown, former City Council member and Former Mayor of Neptune Beach. They have six grown children and currently live with 2 cats.
Greg Evans, P.E.
Board Member
Greg Evans was appointed as the Florida Department of Transportation District Two Secretary on February 6, 2012. Mr. Evans is responsible for the day-to-day administrative, planning, production and operations activities for District Two, which encompasses 18 counties, covers nearly 12,000 square miles in North Central Florida, and maintains 8,200 lane miles of roadway and over 1,200 bridges. The area is also served by two deep-water ports and three major rail lines.
Evans has over 21 years of experience in the management and operations of public infrastructure. He is an alumnus of Southern Institute of Technology, with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology.
Evans joined the Board in 2012 as an Ex-Officio Member representing the Florida Department of Transportation, District Two.
Max Glober
Board Member
Glober is the Vice President of Marketing at First Coast Energy, LLP. Active in his community, he previously served as a member of the Jacksonville Historical Preservation Commission. Glober earned his bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and his master’s degree in business administration and juris doctor from the University of South Carolina.
Donald Horner III
Board Member
Horner is the Vice President of Investor Relations for Intrepid Capital Management. A veteran of the United States Navy, he is a Trustee for the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and a fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Horner earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the United States Naval Academy and his master’s degree in business administration from Jacksonville University.
Rahman K. Johnson, Ph.D.
Council Liaison
Rahman K. Ross-Johnson was elected in 2023 to represent District 14 on the Jacksonville City Council. He was a professor of journalism and communications at Edward Waters University, where he was honored as Professor of the Year.
Dr. Johnson was born and raised in Jacksonville. He graduated with honors from Jean Ribault High School, holds degrees from Edward Waters University and Seton Hall University, and holds a Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University.
Media and entertainment have always been at the forefront of Dr. Johnson’s career. He is an actor with hundreds of stage and film credits and has worked as a radio and television personality and news anchor for stations nationwide.
Since childhood, Dr. Johnson’s family made sure that community engagement and public service were a part of daily life. He has served on the Jacksonville Civil Rights Task Force, the Downtown Development Authority LaVilla Gateway Project Steering Committee, Mimi and Lee Adams Environmental Board, the Thurgood Marshall Achievers Society Board, the Guardian Schools Board, and the Sickle Cell Disease Association Board.
Currently, Dr. Johnson is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., SAG/AFTRA, The Urban League, the National Association of Black Journalists, the American Association of University Professors, and The United Nations Association of the United States. He also served as a Stakeholder for the Jacksonville Insight Process under Mayor Ed Austin and was an organizer of the Jacksonville Community Council Forum for the Future.
Dr. Johnson has appeared in media worldwide. He was featured in EBONY Magazine as an outstanding young leader, quoted in USA Today and the London Times, hosted and produced an award-winning daily show on Nickelodeon, and was named one of 10 to watch during the decade by The Florida Times-Union newspaper. He has received countless awards for journalism, teaching, and acting during his more than 30-year career.
Dr. Johnson currently serves on the Land Use and Zoning and Rules Committees. He is also on the Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees and the council liaison to the Joint Planning Committee and the Safety & Crime Reduction Commission.
After the death of his mother, Dr. Johnson curated and published a collection of poems. His book Living, Loving, Letting Go was named book of the year by the American Library Association. He continues to perform and lecture, spreading a message of self-actualization and cultural understanding.
Chief Executive Officer
Nathaniel P. Ford Sr.
Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. is an award-winning transportation expert and leading advocate for using autonomous vehicles (AV) and other advances to improve the quality of life for travelers throughout the nation. His proven track record as a change agent and visionary who embraces state-of-the-art technology and innovations has made him a highly sought-after advisor, consultant, and executive coach.
Ford began his stellar career at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York, where he learned every facet of the industry before he went on to become CEO of two of the 10 largest transportation authorities in the US - the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) in California, and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in Georgia.
Those positions gave Ford the distinction of ushering in industry firsts – the first 100% transit smart card and multimillion dollar transit-oriented development at MARTA, and the first real-time smart parking app and oversight of a regional authority spearheading a multibillion development in San Francisco, to name a few. That expertise and forward-thinking was the compass that helped guide Ford when he was named CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Since joining the JTA in 2012, Ford has been lauded for leading the total transformation of the mid-sized Authority from a local company focused on buses, roads, and bridges, into a best-in-class, regional organization that is held in high regard locally, nationally, and even globally.
One of the Ford administration’s crowning achievements is developing an autonomous vehicle program centered on the JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C). This cutting-edge innovation was in the world spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic when the JTA partnered with autonomous vehicle providers to transport COVID-19 tests for Florida’s esteemed Mayo Clinic. Phase I of the U²C, the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, is under construction, with full deployment of the autonomous vehicles scheduled for Summer 2025.
Ford served as the 2022 Chair of the prestigious Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that promotes innovations, technology, and transportation research. He is a former chair of the influential American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Currently, he serves as National Ambassador, USA, for the Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP) Policy Board, on the Board of Directors of ITS America, on the Board of Advisors for UC Davis, Institute of Transportation Studies, and on the Board of Directors of TEAMFL., he was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of ITS America.
Ford's influence extends beyond the national level, as evidenced by his participaion in study missions to various countries. His global perspective, gained from providing consultation and advice about transportation policy, management, and sustainable infrastructure development in Australia, Canada, China, England, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Sweden, has enhanced his value to corporate boards and commissions.
In recognition of his immense dedication to enhancing transportation services with compassion and innovation, he received the 2023 Sharon Banks Award for Humanitarian Leadership in Transportation earlier this year. Ford has received multiple awards and recognitions throughout his career due to his outstanding leadership, including the Honorable Ray LaHood Award from the Women’s Transportation Seminar of Northeast Florida in 2022 and the “2020 Outstanding Public Transportation Manager” by APTA. In 2019, he was inducted as a “Thought Leader” by the Eno Center for Transportation, and in 2016, Ford was named a “White House Champion of Change in Transportation” by the US Department of Transportation for embracing innovations and improving the quality of all modes of transit, the same year that under his leadership the JTA received the “Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award” by APTA.
Always committed to the community he lives in, Ford serves on the boards of multiple non-profit organizations, including the Sulzbacher Center, Baptist Hospital, Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business & Technology, and Goodwill Industries of North Florida, where he served as Chair from 2021 to 2024.
Ford has an MBA from Jacksonville University’s Davis School of Business. He also has a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science in organizational leadership from Mercer University and is a certified Master Executive Coach. He graduated from the Executive Development Consortium Program at Emory University and has completed executive training at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Executive Leadership Team
Cleveland Ferguson III
Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer
Cleveland Ferguson III is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) in Jacksonville, FL. He is charged with improving Northeast Florida’s economy, environment and quality of life through JTA’s administrative, technological and economic development initiatives. Some highlights include leading P3 teams to create transit-oriented development, reducing food deserts, and pioneering data science analytics usage through JTA's public benefit corporations.
Cleveland has successfully represented the JTA at congressional hearings and the U.S. Department of Transportation on federal support for safety-sensitive operations, housing and transit, autonomous vehicle technology, workforce development initiatives, and enhancing analytics in public transportation. He provides subject matter expertise through industry panels at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA). His leadership has contributed to the JTA's recognition as a forward-leaning mid-size agency, including earning Outstanding Public Transportation Agency of the Year in 2016 and 2020.
Among the Authority’s recent awards under Ferguson’s leadership contributed to JTA receiving the 2024 National Weather Service StormReady Certification, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration’s 2023 Gold Standard Award, the FPTA 2021 Innovation Award for its opioid intervention program, the Urban Land Institute’s 2021 Judge’s Choice Award, FPTA 2018 Gold Bus Safety Excellence Award.
He previously served as the Deputy CAO for the City of Jacksonville, Florida. There, he led the effort to expand the use of analytics through JaxScore, reform the delivery of citizen-based services and increase transparency in city operations. Successes include establishing the property asset management optimization process, innovations in procurement with online auctions, and developing the employee performance management system, JaxOps. He also coordinated the Renew Jax effort, which secured $50 million in investments in infrastructure and community development projects.
When Cleveland was a tenured law professor, he led a summer abroad program in France to accreditation by the American Bar Association. His scholarship on contracts, regulatory policy and constitutional law has been translated into multiple languages, and courts and regulators have cited his writings. He has a distinguished record of board service in civic, nonprofit, legal, and international associations, including being a mayoral appointee to the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Chairman of the Florida Legal Services Board of Directors, and Secretary of the Legal Affairs Committee of APTA.
Onyx Magazine recognized Cleveland as a 2023 “Man of Honor.” He is a member of Leadership Broward Class XXIII, Leadership Jacksonville (2010), Leadership Florida Class XXXIII, the 2017 ENO Transit Senior Executive Program, The Florida Bar, and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.
Cleveland received his Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law and a B.S. from Nova Southeastern University (NSU). He was conferred with a Doctor of Humane Letters by NSU in 2018. Additionally, he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Conflict Resolution and Analysis.
Jeffrey H. Smith
Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer
Jeffery H. Smith is the Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) directing the performance of passenger transportation services serving Jacksonville, Florida metropolitan region with an annual budget of $175M, 850 employees and providing public transit service seven days a week to the communities of Duval, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns counties.
Smith is responsible for the safety, productivity, and accountability of transit operations, including service planning, operations, and maintenance of all vehicles related to JTA's transit system including fixed route, bus rapid transit, paratransit, microtransit, and waterborne systems. Smith joined the JTA in 2021 with over 35 years of experience in the transportation industry. He was hired as the Assistant Vice President and Chief Transportation Officer. In 2023, he was promoted to Vice President of Transit Operations.
Before arriving in Jacksonville, Smith worked in the following capacities for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA): Director of Training and Instruction, Director of Rail Operations, Director of Bus Operations, GM of Rail Operations, GM of Bus Operations and Senior Manager of Bus Operations. Prior to working for the CTA, Smith was the President and CEO of Omega Transport Services, Inc. He is an expert in strategic planning, contract negotiations, management consulting, operations management, business needs assessments, and proposal development.
Smith holds an MBA from Purdue University and the following certifications from Villanova University: Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Six Sigma Lean Belt, and Six Sigma Green Belt. He also holds certifications in Transit Rail and Transit Safety and Security from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Greer Johnson Gillis
Senior Vice President/Chief Infrastructure & Development Officer
Greer Johnson Gillis is a senior vice president and Chief Infrastructure & Development Officer for the JTA. During her 29-year career, Ms. Gillis has implemented sustainable policies and managed large-scale infrastructure projects.
Ms. Gillis oversees the System Development Division and is responsible for the following departments: Automation & Innovation; Construction & Engineering; Planning & Sustainability; Facilities Management & Transit Amenities; Small Business & Community Impact; and the Capital Projects Office. Ms. Gillis joined the JTA in April 2020. In her first months at the JTA, Ms. Gillis established the JTA's Capital Projects Office to focus on efficient project delivery, the Sustainability Program Office to elevate sustainability and resiliency initiatives throughout the agency, and initiated the first phase of the Authority's strategic planning efforts.
In 2014, Ms. Gillis was honored by President Obama and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx as a White House Champion of Change: Transportation Ladders of Opportunity. In 2017, she was honored by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) with the Women Who Move the Nation Local Government Award. In 2022, Ms. Gillis was honored with the COMTO Thomas G. Newsom Founders' Leadership Award, which is the highest award given by the organization. It honors transportation executives and policymakers who have contributed to the growth and development of people of color within their organization. In 2008, she was appointed by the interim director of District (DC) Department of Transportation to serve as the city's transportation lead for the 2009 presidential inauguration.
Prior to serving at the JTA, Ms. Gillis held several executive positions in the District of Columbia Government, including commissioner on the Public Service Commission, director of the DC Department of General Services, and deputy director of the District Department of Transportation. She also has many years of private-sector experience working for several engineering companies.
Ms. Gillis is an active member of the Women's Transportation Seminar NE Florida Chapter and serves as the 1st Vice President of the COMTO Jacksonville Chapter. She is also a steering committee member of Elevate Women NE Florida, the City of Jacksonville's Better Jacksonville Plan Finance and Project Administration Committees, and a member of the Jacksonville' Women Network. She is a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2022, and a graduate of the 2022 Eno Center for Transportation's Senior Executive Program.
Ms. Gillis holds a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and a Master's of Science degree in civil engineering with a concentration in transportation, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia and Washington, DC.
Raj Srinath
Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
Raj Srinath is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Srinath is responsible for directing financial planning and analysis, accounting, budgeting, treasury, grants and revenue management for the organization. He also oversees the department of information technology, and the fixed assets program for the JTA.
Srinath has over 25 years of experience in the transit/transportation industry. Before joining the JTA, he served as the Chief Financial Officer at Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), where he was responsible for MARTA’s strategic direction, operational and capital budgets, debt & investments programs, financial viability, and daily management of MARTA's Department of Finance. In addition to the Department of Finance, he managed the Federal and State Grants Programs, and the Department of Contracts, Procurement & Materials. He also advised the General Manager and the Board of Directors on fiscal management matters.
Prior to MARTA, Srinath served as Deputy General Manager/CFO at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) where he was responsible for all finance functions, real estate development, risk management, information technology, human resources, employee relations, grants, procurement, and contracts.
Srinath holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Bangalore (India) and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Jessica Shepler
Senior Vice President/Public Affairs
Jessica Shepler is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). In this role, Jessica oversees local, state and federal Government Affairs, Economic Development and Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Departments.
Prior to her current role, Jessica served as AVP and as Director of Government Affairs for the JTA. She also previously worked alongside her husband to start a family business, served as the Director of City Policy at the City of Jacksonville and as Director of Public Policy for JAX Chamber.
Jessica is a native of Jacksonville and attended the University of North Florida. Her expertise in public affairs and government relations helps guide the JTA each day.