Joi Taylor Dean currently serves as the CEO for the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“RMTA”), a regional transportation authority that operates and maintains critical transportation infrastructure in the Richmond Metropolitan area. As CEO, Ms. Dean is responsible for developing and directing the Authority’s long-range planning and development activities, including financial management systems, legislation, planning and design work, and construction activities. She also leads the organization’s regional partnerships with the regional local governments, civic and special interest groups.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Dean served as the RMTA’s Chief of Staff where she worked closely with the CEO providing input and was responsible for all facets of the Authority including developing policy related to RMTA operations, managing RMTA public relations, tracking and monitoring state and federal legislation, and conferring with RMTA legal counsel as necessary on a range of issues.

Ms. Dean’s other career highlights include:

Founder and President of the Dean Strategy Group, a company that provided management and consulting services in the areas of political consulting, strategic communications, business development, government affairs, grass roots advocacy, and coalition building. Ms. Dean used her diverse background with linkages to government, the political arena, the legal community, and the nonprofit world to develop and manage relationships and achieve results for her clients.

A decade of experience in the legal and political arena where she served as a Special Assistant to New Jersey Attorney General, Peter Harvey, and worked as a liaison between the Attorney General and federal, state and local elected officials as well as religious organizations and community based organizations.

Additionally, Ms. Dean served as a Legal Specialist in the Consumer Fraud Prosecution, Antitrust, and Affirmative Litigation sections of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Division of Law where she worked on cases to protect the finances of the citizens of New Jersey by helping to identify and prosecute consumer and mortgage fraud and preventing business monopolies.

An active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first sorority founded for African American women, Ms. Dean has served as the Business Manager for the North Atlantic Region, as a member of the North Atlantic Standards Evaluation Team and as the New Jersey State Coordinator for AKA Connection.

Ms. Dean holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Political Science from Hampton University and a Juris Doctor from William and Mary Law School.

Sheryl B. Johnson joined the RMTA in February 2001 as human resources manager. She transitioned to director of human resources in July 2014. Johnson is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing all human resources activities of the Authority, including policy and program development, recruitment, performance management, employee relations, compensation, and benefits management.

Ms. Johnson received a B.A. in Foreign Language (Interdisciplinary Major Program) from the University of Virginia, and holds the Professional in Human Resources designation (PHR). Johnson is a member of the National Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). Ms. Johnson brings 20+ years of professional human resources experience to the RMTA.