It is finished.
Nat Ford is out as CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.
The announcement came around 3 o’clock on a Friday afternoon just before a holiday weekend.
In a “deeply personal” statement, Ford said his decision to resign two years before his contract expires came after “deep reflection and profound gratitude.”
Ford stated, “It has been the greatest professional honor of my career to serve this organization, this city, and this region.”
And, right on cue, Ford’s faithful couldn’t wait to publicly praise and thank him for all the blessings bestowed upon Jacksonville, and the nation, during his 14-year reign.
“Great leaders do more than manage organizations; they create opportunities,” Mayor Donna Deegan stated. “Nat has been a dedicated partner to the city of Jacksonville, and his vision and collaborative spirit helped move our community forward in meaningful ways.”
Deegan, who has remained one of Ford’s most loyal backers, has referred to his leadership style as “visionary,” more than once over the years.
“We appreciate his service and wish him well as he begins the next chapter of his rewarding career,” Deegan said.
JTA’s board chair Aundra Wallace claimed Ford’s leadership gave JTA national street cred as innovators “particularly in the autonomous vehicle space,” while still managing to provide “safe, reliable and affordable public transportation to our community” – allegedly.
City Councilman Rahman Johnson’s posted statement claimed Ford has done so much more for us than lead JTA. Ford “helped redefine what public transportation could become.”
Johnson said “because of Nat Ford’s leadership, Jacksonville enters its next chapter with a transportation authority that is more innovative, more financially disciplined, more globally respected, and more prepared for the future than the one he inherited. That is the definition of transformational leadership.”
“Because Nat Ford believed Jacksonville could lead instead of follow, the future of this city will carry his fingerprints for generations to come,” Johnson claimed.
He isn’t wrong about the fingerprints.
Ford’s lasting imprint includes JTA’s $65 million “fully autonomous” vehicle program – which requires a driver – and a freshly minted city audit revealing JTA is $19 million over budget.
Those dirty fingerprints will continue to smudge JTA’s rearview mirror for quite some time.
Ford’s last day is set for January 8, 2027.
