Jennifer Fehribach appointed DeKalb Transit Director, will oversee mobility strategies, regional partnerships

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has appointed Jennifer Fehribach as the County Director of Transit. Fehribach brings more than 16 years of executive leadership and experience in public transit, long-range planning, capital investment, federal funding strategy, multimodal operations, and transportation innovation.

As Director of Transit, Fehribach will lead the development and execution of DeKalb County’s long-range transit strategy. She will serve as a principal advisor to CEO Cochran-Johnson, the Board of Commissioners and executive leadership on transit policy, system performance, capital investment and regional mobility.

“Transit is more than moving people from one place to another. It connects residents to jobs, education, healthcare, housing and economic opportunity,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “Jennifer Fehribach brings the strategic vision, technical knowledge and proven leadership needed to help DeKalb build a more connected, accessible, and sustainable transit network. Her experience securing federal investment, leading complex transit systems and using innovation to improve service will be invaluable as we advance a countywide mobility strategy that responds to the needs of our residents.”

Fehribach will oversee major transit planning initiatives, including implementation of the County’s Transit Master Plan, and coordination with regional, state, and federal partners to advance DeKalb’s transit priorities. She will represent the County in strategic engagements with MARTA, the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Federal Transit Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other mobility partners.

Her responsibilities will also include developing capital and operating funding strategies for bus rapid transit corridors, transit hubs and stations, rail extensions, microtransit and other forms of public transportation. She will lead efforts to secure grants and strategic partnerships while strengthening financial accountability, performance monitoring and compliance with federal, state and local requirements.

Most recently, Fehribach served as General Manager of the Charlotte Area Transit System, where she led a multimodal transit division with an annual budget exceeding $170 million and a workforce of more than 700 employees. Her work included capital planning, electric vehicle fleet strategy, financial forecasting, contracted service oversight, accessibility improvements and data-driven service delivery.

During her tenure in Charlotte, Fehribach developed a public-private partnership and federal grant strategy supporting fleet electrification, workforce development and emergency power resilience. The strategy helped secure more than $30 million through the Federal Transit Administration Low or No Emission Vehicle Program. She also led procurement governance reforms involving more than $100 million in agreements and advanced technology-supported routing and fleet management improvements that increased vehicle utilization and reduced long-term costs.

Fehribach previously served as Chief Operations Officer of the Regional Transit Authority in New Orleans, where she provided leadership for bus, streetcar, and ferry operations. Her accomplishments included improving on-time performance, reducing the agency’s spare-vehicle ratio, eliminating a $1 million operating deficit and helping avert the closure of a ferry service used by up to 50,000 riders each month.

Fehribach also served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority, where she led multimodal operations, service planning and clean-energy fleet initiatives. Her work included developing a nationally recognized autonomous and electric vehicle pilot, restoring federal compliance for a vanpool program and establishing FEMA-compliant transit recovery operations following Hurricane Harvey.

Earlier in her career, Fehribach held leadership roles with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in Houston, where she supported federal oversight for a $900 million multi-corridor light rail project and developed performance and contract-management systems for more than $117 million in agreements.

Fehribach earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Murray State University. Her professional training includes Federal Emergency Management Agency National Incident Management System certifications and Federal Transit Administration training in triennial review and National Transit Database reporting. She is also active with the American Public Transportation Association and has served as a conference speaker and committee member.

In her new role, Fehribach will also guide the integration of electric and low-emission vehicles, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, demand-responsive service, real-time performance tools and other emerging technologies to improve reliability, efficiency, accessibility, and the customer experience.