Fort Worth's The T names interim president; DART elects new officers

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) has named Anthony Johnson as interim president and executive director while the agency board's searches for a permanent successor to Dick Ruddell, who retired Oct.4.

Johnson has more than 20 years of experience in public transportation, most recently as The T's executive vice president and chief operating officer. He joined The T in 1991 as director of operations for buses.

Chief Financial Officer Rob Harmon will continue to serve as The T's executive in charge of the TEX Rail project, a commuter-rail line that initially will run from downtown Fort Worth to Grapevine, Texas, and on to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Also this week, The T named Rebecca Young-Montgomery assistant vice president for government relations. She succeeds Shawna Russell, who accepted a job with the Texas Transit Institute.

Meanwhile, Dallas Area Rapid Transit's (DART) board recently elected new officers, including Robert Strauss, a partner at the law firm of Strasburger & Price L.L.P., as chairman. Also elected were Faye Moses Wilkins as vice chair, Richard Carrizales as secretary, and Gary Slagel as assistant secretary.

Wilkins is president of The Wilkins Group Inc.; Carrizales is an attorney in private practice; and Slagel is president and chief executive officer of CapitalSoft Inc.