People on the Move: Denver RTD, L.A. Metro, Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority

The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) has made personnel changes to its transit police and emergency management department while Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) has named a chief program management officer and Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority (LRTA) has chosen a new executive director.  

Denver RTD 

The Denver RTD has named Dr. Glynell Horn, Jr and Steven Martingano acting co-chiefs of its transit police and emergency management department. Horn and Martingano will co-lead the transit police department while a national search process gets underway. The two will remain in the acting role until a permanent chief is named. 

“Acting Co-Chiefs Horn and Martingano have my full confidence and will ensure [Denver] RTD continues to prioritize the personal safety and security of its employees and customers,” said Denver RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson. “The two have more than 45 years of law enforcement experience between them and they will continue the agency’s ongoing efforts to create a welcoming transit environment.” 

Horn joined the RTD Police Department (PD) in 2023 as the deputy chief of patrol and security, bringing nearly two decades of law enforcement experience from the Houston metro area in Texas. Prior to his Denver RTD appointment, he served as the assistant chief of police at the Stafford Police Department. He holds a Ph.D. in leadership and change from Antioch University.

“I welcome the opportunity to take on the role of acting co-chief with Martingano because it further exemplifies our unity as ‘One RTD’ across the entire agency. As we navigate this transition together, I can confidently affirm that both our sworn and professional staff are fully dedicated to ensuring there’s a safe and welcoming environment for our employees and customers. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute positively and make a meaningful difference in our community,” Horn said. 

Martingano was hired by Denver RTD in 2015 after working for the New York City Police Department and other Denver metro area law enforcement agencies. He was named the RTD PD deputy chief in 2017 and has led many innovative, community-based programs on the transit agency’s behalf. Martingano is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. . 

“As we move forward, I am excited for this opportunity and being a part of the [Denver] RTD Transit Police Department’s progress. The hard work and dedication of our officers and support staff showcases a high level of professionalism and that expectation will continue as we transition to new leadership,” Martingano said. 

The agency is working on a public solicitation to retain a qualified executive recruitment firm to assist with its national search to recruit and hire the agency’s next chief of police and emergency management. Denver RTD anticipates launching the search process next month, with a timeline to have the selected candidate named in early 2025. 

L.A. Metro 

L.A. Metro has appointed Tim Lindholm as chief program management officer. In this role, he is responsible for executing L.A. Metro’s mission to provide a world-class transportation system that enhances quality of life for all who live, work and play within L.A. County. 

Lindholm will focus on delivering the largest transportation infrastructure program in the U.S., a $28 billion program of approximately 75 active rail, bus and highway transportation projects. Projects within his portfolio include the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station and Purple (D Line) Extension projects, which are currently in construction, and the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, which will begin construction later this year. In addition, he will lead key mega projects through design and construction work, including the Southeast Gateway Line, C-Line Extension, Eastside Transit Corridor Phase II and the Sepulveda Transit Corridor.

“Tim’s expertise in alternative project delivery methods, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning has been pivotal in driving [L.A.] Metro forward,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “We congratulate him on this well-deserved role and look forward to his continued leadership. I am confident that his vision and dedication will lead to even greater achievements for the agency.” 

Lindholm is a senior executive with nearly 24 years at L.A. Metro, experienced in project management, construction management, design and engineering, alternative delivery contracts, operations, government finance and strategic planning. He has been serving in the interim role of chief program management officer since May 2024. During his interim tenure, L.A. Metro notes Lindholm has been instrumental in spearheading numerous high-profile projects that have significantly contributed to the agency's success. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a state of California professional geologist. 

LRTA 

Mary Lou Franzoni will retire as executive director of LRTA, effective Nov. 1. As executive director since 2014, Franzoni has overseen all operations of the five-county authority on behalf of the LRTA’s eight-member board. LRTA owns and operates Palmetto Breeze, which includes daily service across the Lowcountry region using more than 44 commuter and transit-style vehicles, with a mix of both rural and urban funding. 

The many accomplishments made under Franzoni’s leadership include: 

• Launching The Breeze Trolley seasonal transportation service on Hilton Head Island, S.C., to reduce congestion during the peak travel season, as well as the Easy Breeze complementary ADA paratransit service. 
• Securing funding to renovate the administrative and operations facility, bringing rolling stock into a state of good repair, updating a wide variety of IT systems, developing and implementing mobile apps and increasing the LRTA staff to meet the needs of the growing service. 
• Developing and launching the Bluffton Breeze year-round weekday fixed-route transit service in the Greater Bluffton area.
• Elevating LRTA’s profile in the Lowcountry to secure stakeholder, as well as grassroots support for public transportation. 

Prior to her time with LRTA, Franzoni was the general manager for First Transit, Inc., overseeing several transit, paratransit and shuttle operations across the country from 1995-2000 and again from 2007-2016. She also served as the transportation director for Chapel Hill Transit in Chapel Hill, N.C. Franzoni began her transit career in 1983 as a supervisor/dispatcher for Blacksburg Transit in Virginia. 

“The LRTA, and the Lowcountry as a whole, owe Mary Lou a debt of gratitude for significantly enhancing the public transit services that Palmetto Breeze has provided under her guidance,” said LRTA Board Chairman Charles Mitchell, Jr. “From managing emergency evacuations, to improving the transit fleet to making sure we provide the safest, most efficient and timely public transportation, Mary Lou has exemplified what Lowcountry Leadership looks like. Mary Lou will certainly be missed because we are all better off for her countless contributions here.” 

The LRTA Board has also named current LRTA Director of Marketing and Communications Brian Sullivan as the agency’s next executive director. Sullivan has been a public transportation leader for nearly 30 years, gaining an in-depth knowledge and understanding of all facets of public transit. He has been an integral part of the LRTA leadership team since 2018 when he started serving as a consultant to LRTA, and since 2020 as a full-time employee. Between 1995 and 2016, Sullivan managed and led marketing and business development teams for three national transit contacting firms (First Transit, Tectrans/Keolis and National Express Transit). 

In 2016, Sullivan established Lost Art Communications, LLC, a marketing consultancy with an emphasis on supporting public transportation agencies and suppliers with their marketing and communications needs. His assignments with Lost Art have included contracts in South Carolina, California, Arizona and Virginia, with additional assignments supporting private-sector transit contracting and non-emergency medical transportation firms. 

“On behalf of the board of directors, we are so pleased that the result of our executive director search led us right back to Brian, an in-house candidate with impressive transit experience across the country,” Mitchell said. “We received more than 53 qualified applications, interviewed nine of those, short-listed four of them for in-person interviews and believe that Brian is the best fit for the next stages of growth at Palmetto Breeze.”