Transit Career Stories - Transit Workforce Center

Transit Career Stories

Transit Career Stories features inspiring narratives highlighting various career paths and personal experiences of current and former transit professionals who have built successful careers in public transportation. Hear directly from people who work in the industry as they share their career beginnings, paths, and what makes their work meaningful and rewarding.

Tell Us Your Transit Story!

Continuing to Serve — Veterans’ Transit Career Routes

Dottie Watkins career story clip

Dottie Watkins — From Bus Operator to CEO, With a Passion for Service

From Bus Driver to Finance Manager — Jerry Garcia’s Drive to Succeed

Elevating Insights — Former Elevator/Escalator Journeyworker Leah Anderson

OT Orozco — Showcasing the Role of People With Disabilities in Transit

Rich Diaz — Embracing the Power of Mentorship

Dionna McCane — Mentoring With Heart

Gwendolen Gibson — A Rail Mechanic Leading the Way

Unbreakable Bond — An Apprentice Mechanic With the Drive to Succeed

Stories From Our Transit Peers

Not Just a Bus Ride: How Kevin Lopez Brings Heart to the Job and Brightens a Passenger’s Day

_{Kevin Lopez — Bus Operator, LA Metro; Jan. 20, 2026}

The Connection That Drives Us

_{Kerwin Rice — Bus Operator, LA Metro; Dec. 2025}

45 Years of Safe Operating: Honoring James E. Smith

_{James “Jimmy” E. Smith — Paratransit Operator, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA); Oct. 30, 2025}

Know Your Operator: Nathan Michaelson

_{Nathan Michaelson — Relief Instructor, Metro Transit (Minneapolis-St. Paul); Feb 21, 2025}