DART CEO Nadine Lee Steps Down as Transit Agency Faces Existential Crossroads

The architect of Dallas Area Rapid Transit's political survival is walking away from the building. DART President and CEO Nadine S. Lee informed the board of directors on Wednesday that she will not seek a contract extension, concluding a turbulent five-year tenure in which she held the region's largest transit agency together against a revolt by nearly half its member cities. "It has been the honor of my career to lead this extraordinary organization and to work alongside more than 3,800 dedicated employees who move North Texas forward every day," Lee said in DART's official announcement.

The departure arrives at a particularly exposed moment. Four DART cities—Farmers Branch, Irving, Highland Park, and Plano—still face May withdrawal elections that could gut the agency's sales tax funding base, though Plano recently canceled its vote following a board-approved governance overhaul giving each city a seat. Board Chair Randall Bryant credited Lee with guiding DART through its pandemic-era recovery and stabilizing operations. He told reporters she "helped guide DART through recovery while setting a clear strategic direction for the future."

Lee, who oversaw the Silver Line regional rail opening and a bus network redesign, told D Magazine the decision was about recognizing when new leadership is needed. The agency's search for her successor begins immediately, with an interim CEO expected within weeks—and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will test North Texas transit capacity like nothing before it, now less than three months out.