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    1. Management

    Leslie Richards to step down as SEPTA general manager and CEO

    Oct. 28, 2024
    Richards' last day will be Nov. 27, 2024.
    Related To: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
    SEPTA
    Leslie Richards will be expanding her role as a professor of practice in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design.
    Leslie Richards will be expanding her role as a professor of practice in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design.

    The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced Oct. 25, 2024, that Leslie Richards is stepping down as general manager and CEO effective Nov. 27, 2024. SEPTA notes Richards led the agency through one of the most challenging periods in its history.

    During her five-year tenure, Richards has stewarded SEPTA’s continuing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the agency’s ridership and finances, while also overseeing a redesign of SEPTA’s bus network; introducing the SEPTA Key Advantage system; and working to secure additional public funding for transit amidst the reality of a $240 million projected Fiscal Year 2025 operating deficit.

    “It has been an honor to lead SEPTA, and especially to lead our 9,500 employees, each of whom brings incredible expertise, dedication and heart to serving our community,” Richards said. “I’m proud to have led a workplace known for its collegiality, dedication to efficiency and equity. Working together, we have positioned SEPTA for a bright future, increasing frequent mobility and access to opportunities for our region.

    “I look forward to expanding my role as a professor of practice in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design and pursuing other opportunities to serve the community,” Richards said.

    SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth Lawrence added, “Leslie has been a dedicated public servant for nearly 20 years, and at SEPTA she has been a true champion for public transit and for our region as a whole. She faced an extraordinary set of challenges over the last five years, and we deeply appreciate her service to the cause of public transit. We wish her well in her future endeavors.”

    Lawrence indicated that SEPTA intends to conduct a nationwide search for Richards’ successor, which is expected to begin in the coming weeks. The board also announced that Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer will serve as interim general manager until a permanent successor is chosen.