Executive Leadership Team
JTA Executive Leadership Team
Cleveland Ferguson III
Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer
Cleveland Ferguson III is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the JTA. He focuses on transforming the JTA’s administrative operations, strategic planning and economic development strategies.
Ferguson’s innovative leadership has led the JTA in developing and deploying JTA University, JTA Enterprise Metrics Management System, as well as the JTA See and Say app. Under Ferguson’s leadership, the JTA was inducted into the North Florida Small Business Hall of Fame and received the 2018 Community Partner Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the 2018 Gold Bus Safety Excellence Award and the 2019 First Place APTA AdWheel Award.
He previously served as the Deputy CAO for the City of Jacksonville where he led the effort to expand the use of analytics through JaxScore, reform the delivery of citizen-based services and increase transparency into city operations.
Ferguson has a distinguished record of board service in civic, nonprofit, legal and international associations, including serving as a mayoral appointee to the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. This year, he serves on the Jacksonville Regional Chamber Board of Governors and is a member of Leadership Broward Class XXIII, Leadership Jacksonville (2010), Leadership Florida Class XXXIII, the 2017 Eno Center for Transportation’s Senior Executive Program and the2017 APTA International Study Mission on Safety and Infrastructure.
Ferguson received his Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law, and a B.S. degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU). He was conferred with a Doctor of Humane Letters by NSU in 2018.
Greer Johnson Gillis
Senior Vice President/Chief Infrastructure & Development Officer
Greer Johnson Gillis is a senior vice president and Chief Infrastructure & Development Officer for the JTA. During her 29-year career, Ms. Gillis has implemented sustainable policies, managed large-scale infrastructure projects, and advocated for diversity within the engineering, energy, and construction industries.
Ms. Gillis oversees the System Development Division and is responsible for the following departments: Automation & Innovation; Construction & Engineering; Planning & Sustainability; Facilities Management & Transit Amenities; Small Business & Community Impact; and the Capital Projects Office. Ms. Gillis joined the JTA in April 2020. In her first months at the JTA, Ms. Gillis established the JTA's Capital Projects Office to focus on efficient project delivery, the Sustainability Program Office to elevate sustainability and resiliency initiatives throughout the agency, and initiated the first phase of the Authority's strategic planning efforts.
In 2014, Ms. Gillis was honored by President Obama and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx as a White House Champion of Change: Transportation Ladders of Opportunity for her efforts in expanding diversity in the engineering industry. In 2017, she was honored by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) with the Women Who Move the Nation Local Government Award. In 2022, Ms. Gillis was honored with the COMTO Thomas G. Newsom Founders' Leadership Award, which is the highest award given by the organization. It honors transportation executives and policymakers who have contributed to the growth and development of people of color within their organization. In 2008, she was appointed by the interim director of District (DC) Department of Transportation to serve as the city's transportation lead for the 2009 presidential inauguration.
Prior to serving at the JTA, Ms. Gillis held several executive positions in the District of Columbia Government, including commissioner on the Public Service Commission, director of the DC Department of General Services, and deputy director of the District Department of Transportation. She also has many years of private-sector experience working for several engineering companies.
Ms. Gillis is an active member of the Women's Transportation Seminar NE Florida Chapter and serves as the 1st Vice President of the COMTO Jacksonville Chapter. She is also a steering committee member of Elevate Women NE Florida, the City of Jacksonville's Better Jacksonville Plan Finance and Project Administration Committees, and a member of the Jacksonville' Women Network. She is a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2022, and a graduate of the 2022 Eno Center for Transportation's Senior Executive Program.
Ms. Gillis holds a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and a Master's of Science degree in civil engineering with a concentration in transportation, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia and Washington, DC.
Jeffrey H. Smith
Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer
Jeffery H. Smith is the Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) directing the performance of passenger transportation services serving Jacksonville, Florida metropolitan region with an annual budget of $175M, 850 employees and providing public transit service seven days a week to the communities of Duval, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns counties.
Smith is responsible for the safety, productivity, and accountability of transit operations, including service planning, operations, and maintenance of all vehicles related to JTA's transit system including fixed route, bus rapid transit, paratransit, microtransit, and waterborne systems. Smith joined the JTA in 2021 with over 35 years of experience in the transportation industry. He was hired as the Assistant Vice President and Chief Transportation Officer. In 2023, he was promoted to Vice President of Transit Operations.
Before arriving in Jacksonville, Smith worked in the following capacities for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA): Director of Training and Instruction, Director of Rail Operations, Director of Bus Operations, GM of Rail Operations, GM of Bus Operations and Senior Manager of Bus Operations. Prior to working for the CTA, Smith was the President and CEO of Omega Transport Services, Inc. He is an expert in strategic planning, contract negotiations, management consulting, operations management, business needs assessments, and proposal development.
Smith holds an MBA from Purdue University and the following certifications from Villanova University: Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Six Sigma Lean Belt, and Six Sigma Green Belt. He also holds certifications in Transit Rail and Transit Safety and Security from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Raj Srinath
Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
Raj Srinath is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Srinath is responsible for directing financial planning and analysis, accounting, budgeting, treasury, grants and revenue management for the organization. He also oversees the department of information technology, and the fixed assets program for the JTA.
Srinath has over 25 years of experience in the transit/transportation industry. Before joining the JTA, he served as the Chief Financial Officer at Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), where he was responsible for MARTA’s strategic direction, operational and capital budgets, debt & investments programs, financial viability, and daily management of MARTA's Department of Finance. In addition to the Department of Finance, he managed the Federal and State Grants Programs, and the Department of Contracts, Procurement & Materials. He also advised the General Manager and the Board of Directors on fiscal management matters.
Prior to MARTA, Srinath served as Deputy General Manager/CFO at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) where he was responsible for all finance functions, real estate development, risk management, information technology, human resources, employee relations, grants, procurement, and contracts.
Srinath holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Bangalore (India) and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.