All Departments

Gail Carr Williams - Chair

Gail Carr Williams has been a member of the Nashville MTA board since 2002 and is Associate Director of Community, Government and Neighborhood Relations in the Division of Public Affairs at Vanderbilt University. She is responsible for building community relationships on behalf of the university. Prior to her work with Vanderbilt, Williams had similar responsibilities at Ohio State University. She also has been a Human Resources Employee Relations Specialist with an emphasis on conflict resolution and mediation, and she practiced law in Oakland County, Michigan for 10 years. Williams also is a member of the following public service and community boards: University School of Nashville, The YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and Frist Center for the Visual Arts. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1979 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1982.

Janet Miller - Vice Chair

Janet Miller, who was named to the Nashville MTA board in December 2014, is CEO and Market Leader of Colliers International. She previously spent 20 years with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in various roles with her most recent position as Chief Economic Development Officer. Miller also is an active member of the Nashville community and is a supporter of the YWCA, Friends of Radnor Lake and the Tennessee Women's Forum. She is an a highly sought-after lecturer and has spoken on economic development around the country, including Georgia Tech, University of Oklahoma, University of Kentucky, and University of Tennessee. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. She also attended the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and received her Certified Economic Developer accreditation in 1999.

Jessica Dauphin - Member

Jessica Dauphin, who was named to the Nashville MTA board in May 2021, is the President and CEO for the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee and has served on the Transit NOW Nashville Board for three years. Dauphin has spent her time working to support nonprofits and the individuals and communities they benefit. She is particularly passionate about public transit and believes it is the key to sustaining growth, building economic competitiveness, and preserving a high quality of life. Born in Nashville and raised in Pegram/Kingston Springs, she resides in Bellevue near the Riverwalk Greenway where you can find her out with her husband, son, and their poodle, Buster. If she’s not out walking, she’s running on her treadmill or lifting weights. For fun, Dauphin enjoys reading, singing, and sometimes drawing with charcoal. She received her undergraduate degree from Middle Tennessee State.

Kathryn Hays Sasser - Member

Kathryn Hays Sasser was named to the Nashville MTA board in 2023 and is Vice President-Litigation for HCA Healthcare, a New York Stock Exchange listed healthcare company with operations in the United States and England. She has been with HCA Healthcare for five years and leads the Litigation Section of the Legal Department. Prior to joining HCA, Hays Sasser was the Vice President-Litigation for LifePoint Health and a partner in the Nashville law firm of Walker, Bryant & Tipps. She is a native of Louisiana and received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Louisiana State University. Hays Sasser has lived in Nashville since 2001 and has two daughters, who are currently making their way through middle school and high school.

Aron Thompson - Member

Aron Thompson, who was named to the Nashville MTA board in August 2023, is the Executive Director of the Real Estate Developers (R.E.D.) Academy, a program of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee (ULMT). He is responsible for overseeing the program's direction and assists with developing opportunities that allow local developers of color to tap into the program's resources and produce projects that produce equitable development in Nashville. Thompson has more than 20 years of experience in the architect field with numerous project types such as student-focused, student housing, sports and recreation, justice, aviation, healthcare, industrial, and corporate projects. He has worked as a senior project architect and project manager for local architectural firms. Thompson is a member of professional organizations such as NOMA, ULI, NAIOP, NMHC, and NAHB and is a deacon in his church and a board member for Bethlehem Centers of Nashville. He received his undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Architecture, from Prairie View A&M University.

Stephen G. Bland - Chief Executive Officer

Email: [email protected]

Steve Bland is the CEO for the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee, both doing business as WeGo Public Transit. He began his tenure in Nashville in August of 2014. Steve is a lifetime transit manager, with over 25 years in the industry, and has served in the chief executive role for the transit agencies in York, Pennsylvania; Albany, New York; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; before arriving in Nashville. During his career, he has served as Chairman of both the New York and Pennsylvania Public Transportation Associations; has been a Board Member of the American Public Transportation Association; and is currently President of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Public Transportation Association.

Debbie Frank - Deputy CEO, Growth & Development

Email: [email protected]

Debbie Frank comes from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in Atlanta, where she was Director of Transit-Oriented Development. Since 2016, she led the completion of four transit-oriented developments for MARTA, creating 1,200 apartment units and 150,000 square feet of office/retail space, which generated $300 million in private sector investments. In addition, over a 2-year period from 2022-24, she directed the creation of four master plans and secured the required zoning to advance transit-oriented development of 126 acres among four rail stations in Metro Atlanta. Prior to joining MARTA, Debbie served as managing partner of Urban Blueprint, a real estate development and consulting firm in Nashville with a primary focus on mixed-use development in emerging markets. She also served as the owner’s representative project manager for the Music City Center and executive director of the North Nashville Community Development Corporation. Debbie began her career as a city planner in Nashville where she developed land use policies and neighborhood redevelopment plans. She holds a Master of Community Planning degree from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Planning from Alabama A&M University.

Amanda Vandegrift - Deputy CEO, Finance & Administration

Email: [email protected]

Amanda Vandegrift is a self-professed transit nerd and regular bus rider. After over a decade of working as a national transit funding expert for dozens of transit providers across the country, Amanda is excited to focus all her energy working to advance transit in Nashville. In her new role as Deputy CEO of Finance & Administration, Amanda hopes to bring the latest lessons learned from peers, fresh ideas, financial stewardship, a passion for transit, and a dedication to enhancing the lives of all Nashvillians. Prior to joining WeGo, Amanda was a Partner at InfraStrategies LLC, where she led the creation of the firm's Southeast transit financial practice, expanding the footprint to include a multimillion-dollar portfolio with major transit advisory contracts in Charlotte, San Antonio, Nashville, Atlanta, Savannah, and Tampa. While in this role, Amanda led the development of the financial plan for Mayor O’Connell’s “Choose How You Move” Transportation Improvement Program. Prior to InfraStrategies LLC, Amanda served as a principal financial consultant for two international engineering and design firms, as the Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer at MARTA, and in the Bridges and Structures Department at Norfolk Southern. Amanda holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Andy Burke - Chief Operating Officer

Email: [email protected]

Andy Burke first caught the highly contagious transit bug shortly after beginning his career as a Paratransit Operator at the University of Massachusetts. His love for the road led him to get his CDL and move to fixed route service before spending the next 15+ years in the transit industry. During his career, he’s held various positions across the United States in both private and public systems. Andy could have very well written WeGo Public Transit’s mission statement himself as someone who believes that well-performing transit systems are at the heart of successful and healthy communities. As an avid rider himself, Andy is always looking for ways to enhance transit and connect riders to their lives and communities. After long days of brainstorming, Andy likes to let his hair down with a nice walk outside, playing some games with friends, a jam session with buddies, or a round of disc golf.

Vince Malone - Chief of Staff and Administration

Email: [email protected]

Vince Malone previously served as Director of the Civil Rights Division with Tennessee Department of Transportation. He is appointed to serve on the U.S. Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committee on Contracting Equity and serves several executive committees with AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). He was Chief Compliance, Risk, and Human Resource Officer for SRS, Inc. of Hendersonville. Malone holds a J.D. in Law from the University of Florida and a B.A. in Political Science from Lipscomb University. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Sumner Development Corporation and as a Commissioner and Chairman of the Gallatin Housing Authority. He is also an officer and board member with 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee.

Nick Oldham - Chief Safety and Security Officer

Email: [email protected]

Nick Oldham joined WeGo in 2018 and quickly rose through the ranks, serving most recently as Director of System Safety and Risk Management. He also worked as a System Support Analyst at Arizona State University. Oldham holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Tennessee State University and a Master of Arts in Christian Studies from Luther Rice College and Seminary. He also has certificates in Public Transportation Safety and Transit Safety and Security from the U.S. Department of Transportation – Transportation Safety Institute and a Data Analytics certificate from Pivot Technology School. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Aphesis House in Nashville.