On Monday, October 14, 2024 the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has named Assistant General Manager of External Affairs Steven Parker as Interim Chief of Staff and Assistant General Manager of Labor and Employee Relations LaShanda Dawkins as Interim Chief Administrative Officer as Chief of Staff Melissa Mullinax departs the Authority after six years.
Parker brings decades of experience to the Interim Chief of Staff role, most recently as the Chief Innovation Officer for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). While at the TSA, he led a team charged with creating an environment where innovation can thrive by mobilizing innovation teams across the agency, developing problem solving models and partnering with private industry to help TSA remain an agile security agency.
Prior to that he was General Counsel at Storybrand, a major brand and marketing company representing Fortune 500 companies, and Political Director for the Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate campaign. He was formerly a Senior City Attorney, handling Commercial Real Estate and Municipal Law for the City of Atlanta, Director of Logistics for the Jon Ossoff for Congress campaign, and prior to that, an attorney at Balch & Bingham LLP, and Vice President, and Senior Counsel with Fidelity National Title Group.
As the AGM of Labor and Employee Relations, Dawkins has over 18 years of experience with MARTA, which includes providing exceptional leadership to various administrative support departments, advising executive management on human resources and labor and employment matters, and litigation. She had the pleasure of driving the human resources and labor relations strategy at a time when MARTA is focused on being a large-scale project delivery organization, planning for the largest expansion in 40 years.
Prior to her tenure with MARTA, she served as an Assistant General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville, Florida, and its independent agencies. She also served on the Superintendent’s leadership team as the General Director of Policy and Compliance for Duval County Public Schools. She is a member of the State Bars of Texas, Florida, and Georgia, and is also admitted to practice in federal court. Ms. Dawkins is a Certified Retirement Pension Fiduciary. She serves as the Chair of APTA’s Workforce Development Committee and is a Leadership APTA Class of 2015 graduate.
Parker and Dawkins will assume their respective duties immediately.