Nat Ford, CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, will leave his position with the authority, according to a July 3 news release from JTA.
Ford, JTA’s CEO for 13 years, will remain with the authority through Jan. 8, 2027, according to the release. The JTA board is set to discuss selection for the authority’s next CEO at its July 29 board meeting.
“The JTA is operationally strong and well-positioned for the future,” Ford said in the release.
“I have full confidence in the leadership team’s ability to continue advancing our mission. It has been the greatest professional honor of my career to serve this organization, this city, and this region.”
“Under the leadership of Nat, JTA has built a national reputation for innovating, particularly in the autonomous vehicle space,” board Chair Aundra Wallace said in the release. Wallace also commended Ford for maintaining the JTA’s focus on “the core of what we do best – providing safe, reliable and affordable public transportation to our community.
Ford leaves JTA as the organization works to build-out its Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) system, which would create a network of autonomous vehicles around Jacksonville’s Downtown and urban core.
The first phase of that build-out was the debut of $65 million Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (NAVI) system Downtown. JTA plans to continue that project with future phases that would include the rehabilitation of Downtown’s Skyway monorail and the expansion of NAVI vehicles into Brooklyn, Riverside, San Marco and Springfield.
The $65 million NAVI service
The NAVI service is part of JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator system, or U2C, which, if fully developed, would cost upward of $400 million.
The U2C became a controversial issue in City Hall since the program debuted in June 2025. It received opposition and support from both sides of the aisle, with strong support coming from Mayor Donna Deegan and strong opposition from such Council members as Jimmy Peluso, a Democrat, and Rory Diamond, a Republican who is the newly appointed Council JTA liaison for the 2026-27 term.
“Under Mr. Ford’s leadership, our transportation authority became not only a model for innovation, but a catalyst for economic growth, attracting new businesses and creating quality jobs that strengthened Jacksonville’s future,” Deegan said in the release.
“Nat has been a dedicated partner to the City of Jacksonville, and his vision and collaborative spirit helped move our community forward in meaningful ways.”
“Nat Ford is a good friend. We didn’t always agree on policy, but I’m grateful for his service to Jacksonville,” Diamond wrote in a text.
In its release, JTA credited Ford with developing the authority’s First Coast Flyer Bus Rapid Transit system and leading the construction of JTA’s LaVilla headquarters, expanding JTA’s regional footprint and more.
The JTA release said Ford did not specify what his next role could be. A JTA spokesperson said July 3Ford had multiple options for a career move, but he had not committed to anything.
Ford previously worked as the CEO of the public transit agencies of Atlanta and San Francisco. Outside of his work with JTA, Ford serves as the chairman of the American Public Transportation Association, based in Washington and chairman of the Transportation Research Board. Both organizations are based in Washington, D.C.