The Comet Welcomes its New Director

The Comet has announced and welcomed John Andoh as the new executive director of the Central Midlands Transit Authority. Andoh will be responsible for the administration and oversight of The Comet. He is replacing Interim Executive Director Ann August, who has held the position since May 2017.

Andoh, has 20 years of experience in the transit industry managing small urban, large urban and rural transit systems. He came to The Comet from Dutchess County Public Transit where he served as the county transit administrator.

His previous positions include Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority where he was responsible for the oversight of three contractors providing service on 85 fixed bus routes operating approximately 440 buses. In addition to his Capital Metro responsibilities, he has also spent the past 20 years of his career implementing new transit services, creating new transit authorities, designing transit routes and services, purchasing vehicles, developing short range transit plans and budgets, securing or obtained over $50 million dollars in grant funding to support transit operations, modifying and improving transit services and implementing marketing, public outreach and advertising campaigns to increase ridership. Andoh was successful in rebranding transit operations as well as improving mobility and increasing ridership in the communities that he has served. He has previously served as the transit director for Yuma County Public Transportation Authority, transit services manager for city of Jackson, Mississippi, Transit & Airport Coordinator for city of Rio Vista, California and assistant transit manager for city of Elk Grove, California.

In his career, he has enjoyed a great deal of success and has been recognized with numerous awards, including Most Improved Transit Provider by Arizona Department of Transportation, Financial Excellence Award by Government Finance Officers Association, Helen Putnam Award in Transportation Innovation for transit services in Elk Grove, Top 40 Under 40 Award by Mass Transit Magazine and Association for Commuter Transportation, Outstanding Public Transportation Operator under 4 Million Passenger Trips by American Public Transportation Association for transit services in Elk Grove and Best Small Transit Operator by Arizona Transit Association and California Transit Association for transit services in Yuma and Elk Grove respectively.

Andoh has a love and a passion for alternative transportation and uses a bicycle or public transportation to get around. This has been the case for many years. He has operated transit buses in the past, received a certificate from Sacramento city College in Railroad Operations and learned how to operate ferryboats at the Blue and Gold Fleet in San Francisco. For leisure activity, he has adopted a highway, a bus stop, a city street, a park, volunteers for the as a Trolley Operator to operate historic trolley vehicles and plays tennis, soccer and hockey.

Andoh is originally from San Jose, and started in public transportation at the age of 13 through performing a summer internship with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority working in the Personnel and Service Development departments. Andoh has wanted to work in the public transit industry as a Transit Manager since the age of 5.

Andoh’s goals with The Comet is to improve transit service countywide, implement an updated Transit Development Plan and marketing plan, improve customer service, build relationships with the Midlands elected officials, community leaders, and its riders, increase ridership, improve the service design to make transit easier to use and implement innovative service concepts to enhance transit services being provided throughout the midlands.