Leadership APTA - Program Overview

Leadership APTA – the American Public Transportation Association’s premier professional development program designed to develop and support the next generation of transit leaders and future leaders of APTA.

Join the ranks of over 275 program graduates who today lead and serve in executive and senior leadership roles at transit agencies, in the private sector, and in related transit organizations around the world.
Be part of a select group of 25 ATPA members chosen from a competitive pool of program applicants.
Develop and deepen your understanding of the transit industry, strengthen and refine your core competencies as transit leaders, build your network of professional colleagues and friends.
Engage in a year-long leadership program that connects class members with world-class leaders and respected leadership and industry experts.
Learn and grow as leaders through customized sessions, focused workshops, team assignments, online venues, site visits, leadership projects and much more. Have the opportunity to be featured speakers at APTA conference sessions, meetings, workshops and events.
Identify leadership challenges facing the transit industry today, be part of teams that identify and recommend solutions that take our industry into the future.
Give back to the industry and to APTA. Help promote APTA’s vision and mission of public transportation.

Background information:

Leadership APTA is a highly respected transit industry professional development program whose goals are to identify, develop and support the next generation of transit industry leaders and future leaders of APTA. Each year, the Leadership APTA Committee selects twenty-five individuals from among APTA members who apply to participate in a year-long program that includes a combination of intensive workshops, conferences, class leadership projects and assignments, teleconference and online meetings, and web-based events that address the challenges, demands, opportunities, and hot topics of our industry. Through these activities, Leadership APTA participants develop and refine the skills and competencies needed to succeed as leaders within APTA and in the public transportation industry. Since the first Leadership APTA class, over 275 transit industry professionals and APTA members graduated from this program, many of whom have now assumed senior and executive leadership roles within APTA and in the public and private sectors of the transit industry.

Through Leadership APTA, selected individuals participate in a combination of specialized Leadership APTA workshops, class leadership projects, teleconferences, online events, and APTA conferences that address the challenges, demands, and key topics of our industry.

Class members have first-hand opportunities to hear from APTA's executive and senior leadership, key transportation industry leaders, legislative officials, labor leadership, and communications, diversity, media and leadership experts. Participants have many opportunities for small-group dialogues with general managers, policy makers, business CEOs, operations and technical managers, as well as representatives from Congress, the Federal Transit Administration, regulatory agencies, labor leadership, and state and local entity representatives.

Through Leadership APTA, participants begin to develop and refine the skills they need to succeed as leaders in public transportation and APTA. The Leadership APTA Committee will select twenty-five individuals from APTA members for the Class of 2010 to participate in the program which begins in the fall at APTA 2009 Annual Meeting in Orlando and concludes with the class's graduation and leadership project presentations at the 2010 Annual Meeting in – San Antonio.

Leadership Presentations and Papers from Previous Classes

As part of the program, Leadership APTA class members produce presentations and papers on a range of topics. These projects include interviews with industry leaders, related research, and recommendations for the industry about their topics. Please contact Joe Niegoski for further information.