DART names Gene Gamez acting CEO after Nadine Lee departure

Gene Gamez is now running Dallas Area Rapid Transit at a moment when Plano, Richardson and other Collin County cities are asking for clearer service, steadier funding and more confidence in the agency’s direction. DART named Gamez acting president and CEO after ending Nadine S. Lee’s employment effective immediately, a move that landed as member cities are already reworking how much they pay DART and how much say they have in return.

Lee had asked in writing on March 13 that her contract not be extended beyond September 30, 2026. Board Chair Randall Bryant met with her on March 16 to discuss an earlier exit, and the board unanimously authorized him on March 24 to negotiate a separation agreement for seven business days. When those talks failed to produce consensus, the board terminated Lee and turned to Gamez, who has worked at DART for more than 26 years and serves as general counsel.

The change matters far beyond DART headquarters. Riders in Plano, Richardson, Carrollton and other suburban communities depend on the agency for work trips, school runs and medical appointments, and the next leadership team will have to decide how to protect service reliability while it rewrites the agency’s financial and operating plan. DART said the early transition was meant to give the next CEO time to craft the FY27 budget, improve the service plan and prepare for the 90th Texas legislative session. With the 2026 World Cup also approaching, the pressure on the agency’s buses, trains and capital planning is only growing.

Lee had served as DART president and CEO since July 2021, a period the agency described as one of operational transformation and recovery from one of transit’s most difficult stretches. DART has more than 3,800 employees, and it has begun a national search for a permanent chief executive. For now, Gamez will have to hold the line on day-to-day operations while the board decides what cannot wait during the interim, including service changes, fare policy and which expansion priorities still fit the region’s budget.

The leadership shift also arrives in the middle of a major funding and governance fight with Collin County cities. Plano approved a new DART funding agreement on February 23 and rescinded its planned May withdrawal election. Richardson approved a similar deal the same day, with city officials saying it could return about $26.12 million over six years. Under the new framework, DART says member cities will get back 10% of their sales tax contributions in phases over six years, while the board grows from 15 to 22 members and Dallas reduces its voting share to 45%. Plano Mayor John Muns called the deal a compromise that guaranteed a minimum funding return and a stronger framework, while Richardson City Manager Don Magner warned the city would need to regroup and that DART services would likely be affected.