RTD selects Kelly Mackey as Chief Financial Officer
DENVER (May 6, 2025) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD) has selected Kelly Mackey as the agency’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mackey brings 22 years of experience to the role and is a strategic and results-driven finance executive, specializing in complex financial operations and organizational transformation. As CFO, she will oversee the agency’s $1.4 billion budget, steward resources with fiscal integrity on behalf of more than 3,000 employees, and drive financial strategies that support RTD’s mission tomake lives better through connections. Mackey will officially join RTD on Monday, May 12. She assumes a role that was vacated earlier this year when the agency's prior CFO, Doug MacLeod, retired after nearly 15 years of service to RTD.
“I am honored to join RTD at such a pivotal moment in its transformation journey,” Mackey said. “Transit is a vital connector for our communities, and sound financial leadership is essential to achieving the agency’s ambitious vision. I look forward to partnering with our Board, leadership team, and employees to enhance fiscal transparency, strengthen operations, and build a resilient financial foundation—rooted in public trust and aligned with the values of the communities we serve.”
Mackey will be charged with leading RTD’s finance, accounting, treasury, investment, and asset management teams. She will focus on enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening capital planning, and positioning the agency for long-term financial resilience. Mackey believes that finance plays a crucial role in building public trust and will ensure that RTD’s investments align with community needs and strategic priorities. Throughout her career, Mackey has been known for her ability to bridge technical finance with broader mission outcomes, such as translating data into insightful and actionable information, improving decision-makers’ access to financial information, and aligning budgetary processes with long-term strategic plans. She is also deeply committed to supporting RTD’s workforce and fostering a culture of empowerment, accountability, and continuous improvement.
"I am excited to have Kelly’s dedication and commitment to RTD’s employees and customers at a time when the agency is focused on the Strategic Priority of Financial Success and the Strategic Initiative of Back to Basics,” General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson said. “Her more than two decades of experience and leadership will ensure the agency can continue to successfully manage its financial resources."
Mackey offers a diverse and robust background to the CFO role, most notably through her 15-year career at Staples. There she held multiple leadership roles supporting the company’s B2B e-commerce distribution and delivery business. Mackey’s leadership enabled measurable improvements in financial discipline and operational efficiency across supply chain, customer experience, and field operations. She led an 88-person team for the organization, driving operational execution, data-driven decisions, and planning for one of North America's largest private delivery networks.
She also was instrumental in leading customer innovation at Staples, supporting the firm’s transition under new ownership, and collaborating with management consulting partners to drive transformative go-to-market and organizational redesign strategies. This stewardship impacted approximately 3,000 associates and 150,000 business customers. She integrated advanced planning methods, Lean Six Sigma process design, and system enhancements across business channels—skills Mackey plans to utilize in leading RTD's complex operational and service delivery environment.
Most recently, Mackey brought her financial and operational expertise into the technology and cybersecurity sectors, as Vice President of Finance at Trellix, a global enterprise cybersecurity company. In that role, she served as a key leader for financial planning and analysis, product line restructuring, and merger-and-acquisition readiness. Prior to Trellix, Mackey served as Vice President of Revenue Operations at GHX, a Colorado-based healthcare supply chain software firm, where she led digital transformation initiatives, streamlined financial operations, and successfully integrated multiple acquisitions.
Mackey’s intends to bring a private-sector discipline and transparency to RTD’s public finance, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and in service of positive outcomes for all communities. Mackey will focus on driving value, trust, and financial stewardship to support safe, reliable, and inclusive transit across the Denver metro region.
Throughout her career, Mackey has served as a catalyst for change by building high-performing teams, modernizing financial systems, and aligning leaders with clear financial and operational goals. Her unique experience in high-volume logistics, public and private-sector finance, and mission-driven leadership lends an insightful perspective and capability to RTD during a time of transformation.
A Certified Public Accountant and an alumna of Harvard Business School through the Advanced Management Program, Mackey holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado Denver. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance, summa cum laude, with a minor in Spanish from Oral Roberts University.