![Austin Transit Partnership | Home](/images/default-source/atp/atp_logo_white.svg?Status=Temp&sfvrsn=a0ddec4c_4" "Austin Transit Partnership Logo"){kind=logo}
Austin Transit Partnership Leadership
Board of Directors
Community Representative with Expertise in Engineering & Construction - Veronica Castro de Barrera is the founding principal of VCdB Architecture & Art, a design consulting practice in Austin. She is a licensed architect
who has dedicated her career to guiding public investment decisions toward more walkable, inclusive urban design and transit-friendly communities. In her 23-year career, she has designed a diverse portfolio of civic projects including housing, recreational
and mass transit. The majority of her work has been focused on the architecture of mobility in an effort to humanize the built environment, connecting the most vulnerable in our communities to opportunities.
Castro de Barrera has studied in Mexico, the United States, Italy and, most recently, a masterclass in Denmark with Gehl Architects. She has led the transit studio for a national design-build firm and worked alongside teams of engineers and artists in the successful design, documentation and construction administration of transit programs and active mobility investments for Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth and St. Louis.
She has called Austin home for the past two decades and has raised her two children, Andrea and Sebastian, with her husband, Martin.
You can email the ATP board of directors at atpboardinfo@atptx.org. Messages sent to this address are forwarded to all members of the board by ATP staff.
Mayor Kirk Watson - For three decades, Kirk Watson has been immersed in public policy, spanning local and state government in Texas. He served in the Texas Senate for over 13 years, leading on a wide range of issues and serving as a member and vice-chair of multiple standing and special committees and the Sunset Advisory Commission. His peers elected him President Pro Tempore of the Senate in 2019.
Watson was appointed in 1991 by Gov. Ann Richards as Chair of the Texas Air Control Board, the agency charged with addressing air quality issues. He was Vice-Chair of the committee that oversaw creation of the agency now known as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
He was first elected Austin mayor in 1997, where he won praise for bringing different political sides together around transformative environmental and economic development initiatives. In 2012, serving in the Texas Senate, he led the effort to build a new medical school at The University of Texas at Austin.
You can email the ATP board of directors at atpboardinfo@atptx.org. Messages sent to this address are forwarded to all members of the board by ATP staff.
Community Representative with Expertise in Planning & Sustainability - Colette Pierce Burnette became president of Huston-Tillotson University in July 2015, the first female president of the combined Huston and Tillotson
Colleges. She has also served in leadership roles at Pierce College and Central State University, as well as for the Washington State Department of Transportation. Before transitioning into higher education, Burnette worked in a variety of industries
and for a diverse array of companies, including The Washington Post, Proctor and Gamble and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., in addition to running her own consulting firm, CompuMent. Her commitment to civic and community leadership in the Austin
community has led to roles with the Mayor’s Task Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities, Leadership Austin, the Greater Austin Area Black Chamber, Austin Community Foundation, The Greater Austin Urban League, Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Central Texas Advisory Council and Waterloo Greenway.
Travis County representative - Jeffrey W. Travillion was elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court representing Precinct 1 in November 2016 and took office on the first day of 2017. He had spent the
previous 16 years working for the city of Austin, retiring as team lead for the Code Department's Neighborhood Enhancement Team. He was responsible for developing protocols to address compliance issues within the city's health, safety and welfare
codes. His term will expire in June 2024.
He has more than 30 years' experience providing management solutions in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Travillion has conducted extensive operational reviews of state agencies and city departments, and worked on teams that produced recommendations adopted by the Texas Legislature and which saved the state of Texas more than $8 billion.
A graduate of Jackson State University's W.E.B. Dubois Honors Program, Travillion also was an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow at Carnegie-Mellon University's Heinz College School of Public Policy and Management, as well as a fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He has a master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Travillion is involved in a number of civic activities, including serving as a deacon at the Abundant Life Community Baptist Church. He is a graduate of Leadership Austin, chairman of the Communications Committee for the Texas State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a member of the board of directors of the Austin Project. He and his wife, Perri, have 3 children: Jeffrey Jr., Paige and Andrew.
You can email the ATP board of directors at atpboardinfo@atptx.org. Messages sent to this address are forwarded to all members of the board by ATP staff.
Community Representative with Expertise in Community Planning & Sustainability - Juan Garza has extensive experience leading governmental entities and serving the public. Mr. Garza has served as a city manager of Corpus Christi, Texas, as an interim hospital administrator, and as the chief executive of two electric power companies. He also served as the VP of Finance and Development for Central Health where he led financial functions, contract negotiations, community relations, and project management, and was extensively involved in the redevelopment of the Brackenridge Hospital site. He has extensive experience working with citizens on complex and challenging projects, including, for example, the closing of the Holly Power Plant and the development of Evanston’s comprehensive plan.
A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, Mr. Garza's education includes a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and an M.B.A. in Financial Administration, both from Loyola University.
In his private time, he has been actively involved on the Board of Directors of Capital Idea which promotes low-income individuals returning to school. He also has served on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce where he led the creation of a scholarship fund for students of Eastside Memorial Early College High School. He has been described as “an expert who understands the journey of the poor and most vulnerable.”
You can email the ATP board of directors at atpboardinfo@atptx.org. Messages sent to this address are forwarded to all members of the board by ATP staff.
CapMetro President & CEO — Dottie Watkins serves as CapMetro's President & CEO in
Austin, TX.
Dottie began her transit career in 1994 driving part-time while attending the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to her appointment as Deputy CEO, now CEO, Dottie served as Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for all aspects of the agency's daily operations, Capital Construction and Information Technology. Dottie holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Texas and a Master of Business Administration from St. Edward’s University.
A native Austinite, Dottie regularly enjoys trips to the pool with her daughter and plays French Horn in a local community band.
You can email the ATP board of directors at atpboardinfo@atptx.org. Messages sent to this address are forwarded to all members of the board by ATP staff.
City of Austin Interim Assistant City Manager — Robert Goode serves as the Interim City Manager for Mobility and Austin Water
Robert is a veteran executive with more than 39 years of City, County, and private sector experience.
He previously directed transportation and infrastructure planning departments at large entities such as the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA), City of Austin, City of Fort Worth, Travis County and City of Olympia, Washington. Most recently he served as the Interim Austin Water Director.
During his previous 10-year career with the City of Austin, Goode served as the Assistant City Manager over the Infrastructure Services Group providing direct executive leadership and oversight over multiple departments including Austin Water Utility, Austin Resource Recovery, the Corridor Program Office, and the Public Works and Transportation Departments. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Idaho.
You can email the ATP board of directors at atpboardinfo@atptx.org. Messages sent to this address are forwarded to all members of the board by ATP staff.
Leadership Team
ATP Board of Directors Vacancy
The ATP Board has opened the process to fill a Board of Directors vacancy. Community members with experience in Finance are encouraged to apply.
Learn More
The Austin Transit Partnership has authorized an independent analysis by the ATP Board of Directors in partnership with the Eno Center for Transportation to determine the appropriate leadership model for ATP.
Learn More
Executive Director – Greg Canally was appointed Executive Director by the ATP Board of Directors effective March 1, 2023. Canally has served in the role in an interim capacity since May 2022. His prior roles with Austin Transit Partnership included Chief Financial Officer and Chief Development Officer. With more than 20 years’ experience in public sector service, he has executed large scale projects and financial portfolios that have helped guide Austin’s growth and economic vitality. Canally’s prior roles with the City of Austin include Interim Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Budget Officer. Canally led the City’s financial strategies on economic development, transportation initiatives, facility master planning and a variety of information technology initiatives for the City. He led several major initiatives for the community, including working to bring Major League Soccer (Austin FC) to the city, a $110 million partnership with Waterloo Greenway for development of Waller Creek, new public-private partnership office buildings and the recent $925 million general obligation bond program.
Prior to his work in municipal government, Canally worked as a project manager/economist consultant working with all levels of government to implement Water Planning solutions in Texas. He holds a BS in Economics from Villanova University and a MS in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin.
Senior Vice President of Legal Services and General Counsel — 
Brandon has broad and extensive experience in the practice of law from serving as an Assistant City Attorney for both the City of Austin and the City of Fort Worth prior to joining the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) in June 2021. Brandon’s experience includes advising municipal boards and officials, civil litigation, providing general counsel advice to medium and large departments, drafting and negotiating contracts and interlocal agreements, and advising on a number of complex policy and business matters. Brandon also serves as the Board Secretary for the ATP Board of Directors.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Southwestern University (in Georgetown, Texas) and his J.D. from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.
Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs - Casey oversees several key services and divisions of the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), including Procurement & Contract Administration, Legal Services, and Real Estate. Other areas of executive oversight include Human Resources, Board Relations, and IT Services. A talented team supports her in managing each of these areas in her executive vice president role.
A critical focus of Casey’s work is developing and executing the delivery and contracting strategy for Austin’s Light Rail Program, which involves integration of a team that spans the organization, and input from industry, peer agencies and consultants with global expertise. A team of procurement and legal professionals report to her to successfully deliver the first ever light rail project for Austin.
Prior executive roles include serving as ATP’s General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer. Before joining ATP, Casey served as General Counsel and Vice President of Government Affairs for the Downtown Austin Alliance, which manages the Austin Downtown Public Improvement District and represents more than 900 downtown property owners. She specialized in mobility policy at the Downtown Alliance and has served on the board of Bike Share Austin, as chair of ULI Austin’s Transportation Strategic Council and as a member of ULI Austin’s Advisory Board. Casey’s expertise also includes prior roles in real estate law and project delivery in Austin and Los Angeles. She earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School and an M.A./B.A. from UCLA. She is a member of the Texas, California and New York Bar Associations.
When away from the office, Casey enjoys international travel and spending time with family.
Executive Vice President of Planning & Risk Management - Jennifer joined Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) in May 2021 and is responsible for project controls, planning, environmental regulatory compliance, and federal process. Previously, Jennifer worked for Valley Metro in Phoenix, AZ as Assistant Director of the Capital Development department which was responsible for delivering light rail, streetcar, and transit facility capital projects. While at Valley Metro her responsibilities included oversight of construction projects, transit planning, community relations, business impact mitigation, and environmental compliance. Jennifer has over 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors with transportation planning, NEPA compliance, facility siting and environmental studies, and community engagement for public infrastructure projects. She has also served as a mentor in the annual mentorship program for the WTS Metro Phoenix chapter, a member of the RailVolution (now MPact) National Steering Committee, and chair of the transportation committee of Arizona Forward. Jennifer has a Masters in Environmental and Urban Planning from Arizona State University and BA Political Science from Oberlin College.
Executive Vice President of Communications and Community Partnerships - Julia Campbell joined the Austin Transit Partnership in December 2022 as the organization’s first Chief Communications Officer. Julia serves as ATP’s lead communications strategist while overseeing all communications initiatives including community engagement, public involvement, public information, media relations and maintains relationships with partners to advance Austin Transit Partnerships mission and goals.
Julia brings 15-years of local experience from several leadership positions at the University of Texas at Austin, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Austin to the role of Chief Communications Officer. Julia has worked on strategy and communications planning for initiatives impacting housing, planning, transit, and economic development. She has previously held roles including the City of Austin’s Global Business Expansion Division Manager for the Economic Development Department, the City of Austin’s Public Information and Marketing Manager for the Housing and Planning Department, the Director of Economic Development at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and two roles in the University of Texas at Austin Business School as Development Specialist in the Development and External Affairs Office and Senior Admissions Officer for the Texas MBA Program.
Julia was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was raised on a working farm in central Mass, happily eating vegetables right out of the ground and unhappily mucking out horse stalls. When she wasn’t cooking in the kitchen at her family’s small restaurant, Julia sprinted, jazz-danced and sang her way through high school. She graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management with a degree in Finance and Operations Management. Julia eagerly left the Massachusetts snow behind and stayed for the warmth and charm of Texas where she has since spent the last 15 years making Austin her home with her husband Matt, her 9-year-old daughter, Kirtley, and 4-year-old son, Conner. On weekends, Julia is an expert in piggyback rides and impromptu dance parties, an intuitive cook/baker with mixed results, avid weightlifter, and brave tackler of home improvement projects. Julia spends her precious personal time meandering on her path of cancer survivorship, building her makeup empowerment business, listening to Radiolab, watching Great British Baking Show and The Office on repeat, and feeding family and friends.
Executive Vice President of Engineering & Construction - Lindsay Wood brings local and national experience in planning, design, and delivery of rail and transit projects. Prior to joining ATP, she served in the private sector as design manager for the preliminary engineering of light rail elements of the Project Connect program from downtown to the airport. She brings multi-disciplinary engineering experience delivering large transit projects and programs through collaboration and a strong history working with our partners and stakeholders in Austin.
Lindsay is a past Chapter President of the WTS (Women’s’ Transportation Seminar) Heart of Texas Chapter and has a passion for introducing STEM career opportunities to girls early in their educations.
She earned her degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas.
Lindsay is a proud 4th generation Austinite and enjoys exploring the many beautiful parks and places our region has to offer with her husband and two daughters.
Executive Vice President of Architecture & Urban Design - Peter Mullan brings decades of experience working in public space design and community engagement to Austin Transit Partnership. He believes Project Connect is an extraordinary opportunity
to reinforce and enhance Austin's diverse and human-centered urban fabric.
Peter comes to the Austin Transit Partnership from the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, where he served as CEO since 2015. An innovative public park system built around a restored Waller Creek, including the transformed Waterloo Park and Moody Amphitheater
opening in 2021, Waterloo Greenway will give the Austin community a new public gathering place, combining access to art and culture with an immersive natural experience in the heart of the city.
Before moving to Austin, Peter played a critical role in the creation of the High Line in New York, a global model for next-generation public spaces. A licensed architect by training, Peter is a graduate of Princeton University and the Yale School of Architecture, where he was the recipient of the Alpha Rho Chi medal for Leadership.
Chief of Staff, Senior Vice President — Rebecca Giello brings more than 25 years’ public sector experience to her current position, specifically expertise in community relations, affordable housing, community development, and economic development. In her current role, Rebecca collaborates with ATP’s executive leadership to prioritize business strategies for the organization. She works with a talented team of professionals overseeing Board Relations, Human Resources and serving as executive support for Executive Director, Greg Canally.
Before joining Austin Transit Partnership, Rebecca was the Deputy Director of the City of Austin Housing and Planning Department. She also has served in leadership positions for the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Government Affairs, Communications & Public Information, and the City Manager’s Office at Austin City Hall.
Rebecca’s undergraduate degree is in public relations. She has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Texas State University.
Senior Management Team, Project Delivery
Senior Vice President of Engineering - 
Alvin Livingstone is the Senior Vice President of Engineering for Austin Transit Partnership (ATP). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Haven, Connecticut, and has over 24 years of experience including experience as an Agency Project Manager, Contractor, and as a Design professional on several Major transit projects in Arizona, California, and now Texas. Alvin enjoys spending time with family, colleagues, and friends. He embraces building transit in communities and looks forward to building a safe and reliable transit system that Austin will be proud of.
Senior Vice President of Light Rail Project Integration - John Rhone's career
in the industry includes extensive maintenance, operations, design and construction experience in a number of key system maintenance and project management roles, which he has acquired over 25 years of work as it relates to mass transit. Mr. Rhone
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. In his capacity as Senior Vice President of Light Rail Project Integration, John directs and oversees the activities of personnel engaged in planning, design, construction, utility coordination,
commissioning, testing and safety certification functions associated with Project Connect.
Senior Vice President of Delivery & Construction - Manan is Senior Vice President (Delivery & Construction) leading Austin's Lightrail project delivery & construction. Prior to joining ATP in July 2021, he served as Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) Chief Design & Construction Officer for Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's (VTA) Phase 2 BART extension to Silicon Valley (San Jose) project with an estimated cost of around $9 billion.
Manan has over 23 years of experience in Public Infrastructure and Mega transit programs which include working with MTA Capital Construction Company (MTACC), New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), and BART; his knowledge in all aspects of the delivery cycle from PE, program & construction management, costing, alternate project delivery to community relations, is being utilized to successfully delivering projects into revenue services such as BART’s Silicon Valley Phase 1 and 2nd Ave Phase 1 and now being fully used on Austin's LRT implementation plan.
Senior Vice President of Architecture & Urban Design - With over 24 years of experience integrating innovative design and functionality to public projects in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Paulo has been mostly focused on elevating the public Civic Pride within multiuse projects through component design, urban realm programming, retail and art integration, maintenance and operations of transportation assets, urban planning, and information design.
Paulo led multiple conventional and alternative delivery architectural programs on both sides of the procurement process; Agency and contractor sides: the Industrial Design scope for the Pedestrian Wayfinding Program for the New York City Department of Transportation (Walk NYC), the System Wide People Mover Stops for the Qatar Educational city in Doha , the Eglinton Crosstown LRT bid for Crosstown Transit Partners in Toronto and the New York City Transit, Long Island Railroad and Metro-North Railroad Enhanced Stations Initiative programs.
In his previous roles in the private sector Paulo has been focused on delivery innovation within public facilities, visioning, programming, logistics, and in improving functionality within a diverse series of typologies, agencies, and places.
Paulo is a graduate of Architecture and Urban Planning from Universidade Mackenzie in his native Sao Paulo, Brazil and has lectured extensively on the importance and business value of user-centered and experiential design.