Central Ohio Transit Authority CEO, president Joanna Pinkerton to resign

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Central Ohio Transit Authority will be under new leadership soon.

COTA announced Monday morning that CEO and president Joanna Pinkerton has resigned and will step down from her position on May 6. Pinkerton, a licensed professional engineer, joined COTA in 2018 after previous roles at Honda, the Ohio State University, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.

“Leading COTA has been an honor, and I am extremely proud that COTA has never been in
better shape than it is today,” Pinkerton said. “I have full confidence in the Board of Trustees
our Executive Leadership Team, and every member of Team COTA to seize the opportunity
that is before us to transform Central Ohio’s mobility landscape.”

On Jan. 18, a tentative three-year labor agreement was reached between COTA and the Transportation Workers Union. The new collective bargaining agreement does require ratification from the TWU before COTA's board of trustees can vote. Included in the agreement are COTA's operators, vehicle maintenance technicians, and facility maintenance employees.

The board of trustees in December approved COTA's operating budget for 2024 at $196.5 million, proposing an anticipation of nearly 1.2 million transit service hours from central Ohioans for the year.

“We are grateful to Joanna for her leadership, and we celebrate the tremendous
achievements of her tenure,” said Board of Trustees Chair Marlon Moore. “As we begin the
process to identify COTA’s next president and CEO, I am confident that we have the right
team in place to continue our momentum in this pivotal year.”