The DCTA board unanimously appointed Deputy CEO Paul Cristina as interim CEO. The board plans to discuss launching a search for Suarez’s replacement at the March 24 regularly scheduled meeting.
Suarez joined the DCTA as the chief operating officer in 2014 and became CEO in September 2018, according to a DCTA news release.
He led the agency through the legislative reconstitution of the board of directors, according to the release, and led the agency through new initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most recently, he worked with Dallas Area Rapid Transit to forge an agreement to construct a joint rail facility to support the DCTA A-train and DART Silver Line operations, according to the release. He also launched the new GoZone on-demand mobility services throughout DCTA’s three member cities.
“I am very thankful to the board of directors and staff for the constant support and I’m proud of the culture we have created based on Servant Leadership principles,” Suarez said in the release. “It is very rewarding to see ridership growing to prepandemic levels so quickly after launching the system wide GoZone program. Through this transformation journey, the agency is now more accessible, responsive, and resilient and able to respond to the communities we serve and that’s a great feeling of accomplishment."
