Rail transit veteran Joseph Leader has joined STV, Inc. as Vice President and Engineering Director, Transportation North Operating Group.
With more 35 years of senior leadership experience, Leader has managed inspections, design reviews and testing of emerging railway technologies “to ensure resilient and high-performing rail networks,” STV said. “He has a proven track record of overseeing complex rail operations and driving system-wide performance improvements. His expertise includes heavy and light rail operations, infrastructure management, systems integration and safety oversight, enabling him to lead strategic initiatives, enhance reliability and deliver innovative solutions for transit agencies.
Leader comes to STV from HDR, Inc., where he was Senior Rail Project Manager. Prior to HDR, he served as Chief Operating Officer of WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) for nearly six years. Leader spent the bulk of his career, nearly 30 years, at MTA New York City Transit (NYCT), from which he retired as Senior Vice President in 2016. He was a Senior Consultant at Bianco Associates, a consulting firm led by former NYCT President Carmen Bianco, prior to joining WMATA.
Leader helped develop NYCT’s FastTrack program, “a pioneering effort that sped up overnight maintenance and repair work, increased productivity and reduced service disruptions,” STV noted. “As part of WMATA’s SafeTrack and performance improvement programs, he led data-driven initiatives that used real-time analysis to boost reliability and achieved record customer satisfaction across the Metrorail system. His work has concentrated on optimizing maintenance approaches, deploying innovative technologies and planning long-term infrastructure projects for agencies such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the New York MTA and WMATA.
Leader holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College and an Executive Certificate in State and Local Governments from Harvard Kennedy School. He is a member of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA). He also serves on the Oversight and Project Selection Commission for the Transit Cooperative Research Program.
“Shaping innovative solutions that positively impact communities is at the core of everything we do,” said STV Senior Vice President and Transportation North Operating Group District Manager Peter Pappas, P.E. “Joe’s extensive experience leading public sector transit initiatives and rail operations strengthens our team’s ability to deliver complex, high-performance transportation programs across the region.”
