‘We are OneRTD’: GM and CEO Debra A. Johnson highlights leadership, vision at WTS Colorado Podcast Club

Wednesday Sept. 23, RTD hosted the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS International) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for the latest WTS Colorado Podcast Club event. At the event, RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson spoke about her recent appearance on the “A City in Motion” podcast and discussed the challenges that face the agency and public transportation as a whole.

Johnson opened the conversation by emphasizing the importance of learning from others and valuing diversity of thought, experience, and action.

“We’re better together, and we need to learn from each other's experience,” Johnson said. “When we have the opportunity to engage and have conversations like we're doing this evening, we broaden our horizons and start to look at things through a different lens.”

Diversity of thought is a trait Johnson described as one that has helped shape her mindset as a public servant, reflecting on how engaging with people broadens perspectives and reduces division. A key point she highlighted is how everyone carries a story others know nothing about.

The conversation shifted to exploring the idea of motivations. Johnson shared how her early experiences relying on public transportation shaped her sense of independence, ultimately directing her to explore a career in transit.

“A leader needs to be empathetic and has to be courageous,” she said. “In order to be courageous, you have to be learnable.”

Johnson reaffirmed her commitment to RTD’s mission of making lives better through connections by serving people whose lives are directly impacted by reliable mobility. She recalled discussions she’s had with customers over the years about how transit has improved their lives.

Examples included a customer whose life improved due to new service, making it easier than ever before to access the goods and services needed to live. Another was an employee who was proud of her contributions to creating a sanitary environment for customers to enjoy.

“Those are the stories that give me immense joy,” she said, “not those that are from keyboard warriors.”

As the conversation pivoted to leadership challenges, Johnson did not mince her words about the challenges she has faced leading RTD. One aspect of leadership she noted was the challenge of infrastructure stewardship. As the agency continues to replace its oldest segment of light rail tracks as part of the ongoing Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, she compared maintaining the oldest parts of the system to maintaining an aging home. She explained that foundational issues must be fixed before new features can be added, emphasizing that she, too, is a customer of the agency and relies on its services to get to and from her office.

“How can you manage a restaurant and never eat there?” Johnson asked rhetorically.

Johnson continued by further elaborating on the unseen challenges of maintaining an aging rail network, especially when it comes to educating politicians, local and elected officials, and the public about the “why” behind the work, given that these projects tend to disrupt the everyday lives of those who navigate those sections daily, standing up for both the agency and the customers.

“I am going to be the voice from the bus stop into the boardroom, over and over and over again,” she said.

The conversation shifted to reflecting on the historical context of transportation in America, acknowledging both its transformative power and its inequities. Johnson spoke candidly about how infrastructure projects have divided communities and how her lived experience as a Black woman informs her commitment to equitable transit.

She encouraged professionals to study the past, ask questions, and engage deeply with the communities they serve.

“If you don't see that I'm a Black woman, then you don't see me,” she said. “I am going to bring forward my lived experience for the betterment of the work.”

Through design thinking and intentional communication, she underscored the need to understand customer pain points, manage expectations, and collaborate across agencies and disciplines to improve public trust and the transit experience.

Toward the end of the event, Johnson highlighted her philosophy of One RTD, viewing the agency as a collective puzzle in which every piece matters, from frontline operators to maintenance staff to planners.

“We are OneRTD; each and every one of us is a puzzle piece,” she said. “There's no need for me without the people that make up the agency, and there's no need for any of us if we don't have customers.”

She also noted lessons learned since joining RTD during the pandemic, the importance of transparency, and her efforts to reshape culture and modernize outdated practices.

Finally, when asked what she would do with unlimited resources and no roadblocks, Johnson emphasized the need for fully integrated transit communities and encouraged professionals to be aspirational. Dreams, she argued, are essential for driving innovation, strengthening partnerships, and building a transportation system that serves everyone with dignity and opportunity.

“Life is too short and tomorrow is not promised,” she said.

RTD thanks WTS International and CDOT for bringing the latest Podcast Club event to the agency’s headquarters. Listen to the full “A City in Motion” podcast by clicking here.