KCATA Announces Frank White III as CEO – no longer interim – to Lead Bi-State Authority

Posted on: Jan 26, 2023

(Kansas City, Mo. | Jan. 25, 2022) The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) is pleased to announce Frank White III, as the permanent President and CEO.

In August of 2022, White was unanimously named to the interim CEO position by the 10-member KCATA Board of Commissioners. With this new appointment, he is the first African-American to lead the organization as CEO.

In the past six months as the interim CEO, White has worked to add transparency to operations, as well as a deeper integration of data and analytics. He has sought out and engaged experts in mobility, land use, transit data and economic activity in order to drive innovation across the agency. At RideKC Development Corporation, White continues to be instrumental in engaging the community and building relationships to create a transportation-oriented development model that fits the region’s unique needs.

Additional select achievements over the last six months include:

• Hiring and promoting talent from within the organization
• Hiring over 100 new bus operators, which will help with service delivery
• Being the first CEO to speak at the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
• Negotiating a new contract with ATU
• Planning for a major safety initiative that will be implemented in 2023
• Having partnership conversations with major employers in the region
• Reaching out to strengthen and create new connections with both local and federal elected officials and leaders

“Frank has proven he’s the right leader for the job,” says Melissa Bynum, Chair of the KCATA Board of Commissioners. “His vision, commitment and tenacity has fueled new life into the organization, not to mention his qualifications are spot on. The board is aligned with Frank’s leadership approach and we look forward to working with him to achieve KCATA’s mission.” 

Frank was hired at KCATA in 2016 as a Senior Marketing Manager and quickly ascended the ranks of the agency, including roles of Chief Marketing Officer, Director of Strategic Planning and Development, and Vice President of RideKC Development Corporation. Across these roles, White led the agency to award winning work in both marketing and diversity. He accelerated expanded service offerings, including micro transit options.

“Over the last several months in this leadership position, we’ve made significant progress at a local and national level to start meeting our goals,” says White. “I’ve been and will remain committed to rebuilding relationships, restoring funding, and holding not only myself, but my team, and the organization accountable for our actions. There’s more work to be done, so I’m greatly appreciative for the opportunity.” 

In July of 2022, KCATA RideKC was named the top public transit agency in North America for
midsize agencies, earning the prestigious 2022 American Public Transportation Association
Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award.