Nathaniel Ford

Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), is an award-winning transportation expert and a leading advocate for how autonomous vehicles (AV) and other technological advances can be used to improve travelers’ 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 makes him a highly sought-after advisor, consultant, and executive coach.

Ford led two of the ten largest transportation authorities in the US – the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) before coming to Jacksonville.

He currently serves on the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Policy Board representing North America, the Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of America Board of Directors, and the Institute of Transportation Studies-Davis Board of Advisors. He previously served as the 2022 Chair of the prestigious Transportation Research Board (TRB), the 2017-2018 Chairman of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and the 2015-2016 Chairman of the Transportation & Expressway Authority Membership of Florida (TEAMFL).

Ford’s awards include the TRB’s 2024 Sharon D. Banks Award for Humanitarian Leadership in Transportation, the “Ray LaHood Award” from the Women’s Transportation Seminar of Northeast Florida in 2022, and the “2020 Outstanding Public Transportation Manager” award from APTA. Additionally, Ford received the “Thought Leader” award from the Eno Center for Transportation in 2019, was inducted into the First Coast Business Hall of Fame in 2018, and earned the 2017 Thomas G. Neusom Founders Award from the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. In 2016, he was honored as a “White House Champion of Change in Transportation” for his commitment to innovation and enhancement of all transit modes.

Ford is actively involved in the communities he serves and is currently on the Executive Advisory Board of Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, and the Sulzbacher Village board, which he chairs.

Ford has an MBA from Jacksonville University’s Davis School of Business, a bachelor’s degree in applied science in organizational leadership from Mercer University, and a certified Master Executive Coach.