Marie Benton, senior manager, Fleet Services Support, has been a part of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit team for more than 9 years. In her tenure at DART she has been a strong contributor as a member of the procurement and human resources teams, then joining the maintenance senior management team in 2010.
This breadth of knowledge and experiences, coupled with her Bachelor of Science degree in business and public administration, gave her a solid foundation to tackle the myriad of complex tasks she and the team she leads are responsible for in support of the maintenance activities of the multi-modal transportation network in Dallas, Texas.
Benton was over a variety of contracts while with the Procurement Department, up to 70 million in contract value employing pioneering approaches to installation of camera surveillance systems, revenue generating advertising and the first ULSD fuel used in the state. Within human resources, Benton spearheaded the development of a grievance tracking tool and implemented a call tracking tool to provide trending and other valuable performance data. In her current role she plays an integral part in the management of several multi-million dollar contracts, including natural gas motor fuels and refueling infrastructure support, light rail car cleaning, uniform rentals, and facility janitorial services.
During her tenure she has brought a level of organization, responsiveness and innovation to the delivery of these critical contracted materials/services substantially decreasing the incremental cost of providing transportation services while increasing the quality of those services provided to the community.
In addition to her strong commitment to the services provided by DART and to the industry as a whole, she is also a member of the 2014 class of Leadership APTA, a program designed to further develop and hone her leadership skills and deepen her understanding of the transit industry through the American Public Transportation Association.
At the local level, Benton has been actively involved in both a DART leadership development program and the Multiple Agency Exchange (MAX) program. MAX is an idea-sharing program initiated in collaboration with two other transit authorities to bring together the top performers from each agency to share ideas and to establish a network of resources to the benefit of all participating agencies.
Benton serves as a mentor to other DART leadership participants and is involved in the DART Women In Leadership program. Both programs allow her to give back to the organization in ways which advance the skills and knowledge of other potential transit industry leaders within the DART team.
“It’s very rewarding to be part of a team of dedicated individuals who truly believe public transit improves the quality of life in our community. With every project we work on, or contract we put in place, we’re all committed to providing the public with a safe, efficient and effective transportation system. I’m also extremely fortunate my agency challenges me to learn new things in a supportive environment.”
“I really enjoy being part of such a diverse and impactful industry. The public transit industry is embracing innovative technologies which are having a direct and positive effect on our community. The number of agencies using alternative fuel technologies to limit our environmental impact is growing, along with our nation-wide efforts to further sustainability across the industry.”
“There are growing opportunities available to enhance relationships with business and community groups, both in the delivery of our services and in finding creative sources of funding. As community support remains strong for transit and as we continue to grow, our existing transit networks are expanding. At the same time we are seeing some established systems taxed to their limit in terms of capacity. Through strategic and innovative partnerships, as well as leveraging other modes, I think we can complement and enhance our existing service for those systems”
