The American Public Transportation Association recently selected Frederick L. Daniels Jr., a DeKalb County representative on the MARTA board of directors, as its Outstanding Public Transportation Board Member for 2018, according to a press release.
The award is in recognition of Daniels’ accomplishments in various roles on the MARTA board as well as his impact on the industry as a mentor, friend and resource to peers at transportation agencies nationwide.
Daniels was first named to the MARTA board of directors in 2010 and, on the strength of his clear-eyed fiscal leadership, his colleagues elected him board chairman in 2012.
A banker by trade, Daniels is often credited with guiding MARTA’s financial turnaround and was instrumental in helping move the agency from $30 million in annual operating deficits to approximately $35 million in surpluses. He is also cited for prudent policy measures that improved MARTA’s bond and credit ratings, lowered its interest on bond indebtedness and restored the agency’s cash reserves.
During Daniels’ board tenure, MARTA celebrated major milestones including re-launching its popular Transit-Oriented Development program, breaking ground on a massive solar panel installation at the Laredo bus facility in DeKalb County, and the 2015 addition of much-needed transit service to Clayton County.
While currently serving as treasurer for the MARTA board, Daniels remains active in APTA where he is widely known as the “Dean of Transit Board Members.” Daniels will receive the award at the organization’s annual conference Sept. 23-26 in Nashville.
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