Dottie Watkins takes helm of CapMetro as president and CEO
Dottie Watkins, a native of Austin, Texas, who began working for CapMetro as a part-time bus driver, has been named president and CEO of the agency following approval by the CapMetro Board of Directors on Jan. 30.
Watkins has been serving as interim president and CEO since June 2022 following the departure of Randy Clarke, who left CapMetro to become general manager and CEO of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
CapMetro is at the start of its expansion program, Project Connect, supported by a voter-approved property tax. Finding a leader the community could trust and CapMetro staff could respect was important to the board.
“As a board, it was crucial we selected the right leader for this position and for our community,” said CapMetro Board Chair and Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion. “We interviewed multiple qualified candidates for this position, and we wanted to make sure the person we selected had a stellar professional reputation, a proven track record of getting things done and most importantly, was someone the community could trust and their staff could respect and also have confidence in. Dottie meets all those qualifications, and I’m confident we made the right decision selecting her as the next president and CEO.”
Watkins joined CapMetro in 1994 while she pursued her degree at The University of Texas. Her leadership roles within the agency include deputy CEO, chief customer officer/chief operating officer and vice president of bus operations and maintenance. Watkins is credited with leading the effort to maintain transit operations and to continue serving the community, even during the ensuing staffing shortage crisis throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
CapMetro says she is recognized at the agency for her depth of knowledge of what it takes to make transit operate, but also her unwavering commitment to her staff and the frontline team members the agency relies upon.
“I am honored, humbled and ready to serve as CapMetro’s president and CEO. I want to thank the board for selecting me to serve in this capacity and for their vote of confidence,” Watkins said. “I’ve gotten to watch firsthand as CapMetro and our teams grow into what I consider to be among the best in transit agencies in the nation. Delivering safe, reliable and customer-oriented service for our customers is a priority to me. Central Texas has a lot to look forward to when it comes to public transportation, and I can’t wait to continue collaborating with our stakeholders, the CapMetro staff and our community members on the future of CapMetro. We work hard, and will continue to do so, to be an agency that delivers service everyone is proud of and takes care of everyone in our community.”
Watkins five-year contract is effective immediately with an annual salary of $357,555, plus eligibility for an up to 10 percent bonus.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
