Kenneth McDonald
Kenneth McDonald brings a diverse professional background with extensive experience in the transit industry with solid professional business skills.
Kenneth is the President and Chief Executive Officer for Long Beach Transit in Long Beach California. On June 24, 2013, he was unanimously selected to lead the Agency, by a seven member Board of Directors, and has led the organization since August 5, 2013. Long Beach Transit provides public transit services for the City of Long Beach and 11 surrounding cities in Southern California. Additionally, the agency runs two water taxi services in the Long Beach bay area.
Prior to coming to Long Beach Transit, Kenneth was employed as a Vice President for Transit and Rail Systems with the engineering consultant firm Parsons Brinckerhoff and was based in Atlanta Georgia. He was responsible for pursuing and managing engineering programs/projects for major transit agencies throughout the Unites States and Canada.
Kenneth also worked at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) where he provided leadership for the city’s surface transit network (known as Muni) directing all operations activities to ensure that light rail vehicles, diesel, hybrid and trolley buses, vintage streetcars and the national historic cable cars were managed to meet the strategic initiatives of the transit agency.
Preceding his joining the SFMTA, Kenneth served 20 years with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and was rapidly promoted through a variety of leadership roles before leaving the organization in the position of Assistant General Manager of Operations.
During his twenty-nine year transit career, he has served in a variety of progressive management and leadership positions. He possesses extensive leadership skills and have obtained management training at multiple organizational levels from Engineering Technician; Electrical Engineer; Supervisor; Department Manager; Division leader; Director; Assistant General Manager (AGM); Chief Operating Officer (COO), Vice President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Kenneth’s industry responsibilities have included creating strategic and business plans; developing and implementing operating and capital budgets; organizing and executing business policies, processes and procedures; planning and coordinating daily revenue service delivery; building teams from disparate functional units; developing Fleet Management plans; directing programs for the repair and rehabilitation of rail vehicles; providing safe and reliable bus and rail fleets to meet daily revenue service requirements; managing rail, bus and Para transit movement throughout high-demand service areas; directing operational functions such as central control, traction power, electric utility services, automatic train control and signaling and fare collection systems.
Kenneth’s professional experience also includes operations, maintenance, project management, engineering design, organizational management, activity-based budgeting, and creating positive collaborative relationships with executives, union leaders, employees and consultants. He has dedicated his time to encourage middle and high school student to enter into technical fields of study. He believes that public transit is a vehicle for mobility, community enhancements, business development and economic vitality within any city or town.
Kenneth received his Masters of Science degree in the Management of Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia. He also received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology (with Honors) from the same institution.
An avid golf player, Kenneth also loves reading, creative writing, and collecting classical music.
