ANN ARBOR, MI – The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) has named Michael G. Ford as its new chief executive officer. Ford, who has more than 25 years of experience in both public and private transportation, will begin work at AATA on Monday, July 20.

Ann Arbor Transportation Authority has hired Michael G. Ford as its new CEO.

AATA Board Chair David Nacht praised the new CEO, saying, “Michael Ford has a terrific record of accomplishment managing traditional bus service, light rail and express buses.  He has spent the bulk of his career at Tri Met in Portland, Oregon, which is a crown jewel of American transit.  He has a consensus building teamwork approach that is consistent with our community’s values and style.

He also has the tenacity to ride a bicycle 200 miles from Seattle to Portland in one day, eleven times.  If anyone can build the support to expand transit in our community, he is the guy!”

In making the announcement, Nacht also acknowledged the outstanding service of Dawn Gabay, who served as assistant executive director prior to 2007, when she was selected by the AATA board as interim executive director. Gabay will return to her previous responsibilities and assist the new CEO.

Before starting his own consulting firm in 2008, Ford served as chief operating officer and assistant general manager of the San Joaquin Rapid Transit District in Stockton, California.

Earlier, he served as executive advisor to the general manager and as director of transportation operations at Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation System (TriMet) in Portland, Oregon, and in several positions, including director of maintenance/operations at Community Transit in Everett, Washington. Previously, he held several management positions at Greyhound Lines in Spokane, Washington and has served as a board member of several non-profit organizations on the West Coast.

Ford earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and philosophy from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon and a master’s degree in business administration at City University of Seattle/Spokane.

In anticipation of his new position, Ford said, “I am very excited about the opportunity at AATA and working with the Board, staff and the community to propel the agency forward. I’m looking forward to becoming part of such a dynamic community.”

On July 17th, The Rapid dedicated the final art installation at Rapid Central Station, Journey Home, by Dennis Oppenheim.

In his artist’s statement, Oppenheim wrote that “Journey Home shows a torqued spiral expanding from a point into the shape of a house.  This dynamic represented travel, brings physical evidence to the emotional build up experienced by an individual as they approach their destination.  The circuitous rambling of a journey is reduced to a flowing movement through space, made simply to arrive at a place.”

Following the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidelines, the purchase of art was included in the capital budget for Rapid Central Station, which opened five years ago.

It’s interesting to see art and infrastructure co-mingle and we’re sure travelers passing through Rapid Central Station will appreciate this unique installation.