General Manager and CEO
RTD's General Manager and Chief Executive Officer
Debra A. Johnson is a person in the people business, a transit executive guided by the knowledge that her decision-making has direct bearing on the public’s ability to make connections that benefit their lives. Johnson was selected as General Manager and CEO of Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) by the agency’s Board of Directors on Aug. 25, 2020. She is the first woman to lead the agency in its 52-year history.
Johnson joined RTD on Nov. 9, 2020, from Long Beach Transit, where she served as Deputy CEO of the Southern California agency from May 2014 to October 2020. Prior to that, Johnson held executive positions at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
"We are ensuring that people can get to where they need to go when they need to get there, for the betterment of their lives." -Debra A. Johnson
Johnson holds a master of arts degree in public administration from California State University Hayward (now CSU East Bay), and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations from the University of California Davis. She is a proud alumna of civic leadership programs in San Francisco and Long Beach, as well as the Eno Center for Transportation’s Executive Development Program. Johnson serves on the American Public Transportation Association (APTA)’s Board of Directors, Commuter Rail CEOs Committee and Emerging Leaders Committee. She is a board member of the American Public Transportation Foundation.
Johnson is also active with the Women’s Transportation Seminar and the Conference of Minority of Transportation Officials (COMTO). She has received numerous awards and accolades, including being named in 2019 by COMTO as one of 10 “Women Who Move the Nation.”
Debra A. Johnson is a person in the people business, a transit executive guided by the knowledge that her decision-making has direct bearing on the public’s ability to make connections that benefit their lives. Johnson was selected as General Manager and CEO of Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) by the agency’s Board of Directors on Aug. 25, 2020. She is the first woman to lead the agency in its 52-year history.
Johnson joined RTD on Nov. 9, 2020, from Long Beach Transit, where she served as Deputy CEO of the Southern California agency from May 2014 to October 2020. Prior to that, Johnson held executive positions at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
"We are ensuring that people can get to where they need to go when they need to get there, for the betterment of their lives." -Debra A. Johnson
Johnson holds a master of arts degree in public administration from California State University Hayward (now CSU East Bay), and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations from the University of California Davis. She is a proud alumna of civic leadership programs in San Francisco and Long Beach, as well as the Eno Center for Transportation’s Executive Development Program. Johnson serves on the American Public Transportation Association (APTA)’s Board of Directors, Commuter Rail CEOs Committee and Emerging Leaders Committee. She is a board member of the American Public Transportation Foundation.
Johnson is also active with the Women’s Transportation Seminar and the Conference of Minority of Transportation Officials (COMTO). She has received numerous awards and accolades, including being named in 2019 by COMTO as one of 10 “Women Who Move the Nation.”
Contact Us
If you have a question or comment about your experience using RTD services please contact Customer Care by completing our customer comment form. To speak with a Customer Care Representative immediately Monday-Friday from 6 a.m.-8 p.m., or weekends/holidays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., please call 303-299-6000.
Your voice is important to me and I welcome your ideas on how RTD can continuously improve our service at generalmanager@rtd-denver.com. Due to the volume of messages I receive, it’s unlikely I can respond personally to all of them. Comments are often shared with my leadership team so a response can be provided to most messages.
If you are interested in doing business with RTD, or you are submitting a bid or proposal, please visit our business center.