DART Executive Staff Biographies

Nicole Fontayne-Bárdowell
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer

Executive Staff Image Library

Nicole Fontayne-Bárdowell joined DART in June 2014 with more than 14 years of experience as a Chief Information Officer and Director of IT with large jurisdictions: City of Detroit, Michigan under Mayor Dennis Archer and in Broward County, Florida. Fontayne-Bárdowell leads the Information Technology Department and has ultimate responsibility for Management Information Systems, Intelligent Transportation Systems Technology, Networks, and Telecommunications. She is also responsible for developing and implementing DART's information technology and intelligent transportation systems strategic technology goals and objectives to enable DART's service mission.

Fontayne-Bárdowell succeeds Chief Financial Officer David Leininger in the top administrative role. Leininger retired in 2018. In her new capacity she will also oversee Human Capital, Marketing and Communications, and Procurement.

Fontayne-Bárdowell was recently an Engagement Manager with Everest Group, a boutique, global management consulting firm based in Dallas, focusing on strategy and transformation on highly complex projects with leading companies.

Experience
Engagement Manager, Everest Group
Principal and CIO, Magellan Associates
Chief Information Officer, Broward County, Florida
Director, Information Technology Services Department, City of Detroit, Michigan
Resource Productivity Manager, Amerisure/Michigan Mutual Insurance
Manager, Commercial Joint Underwriting Association and Workers' Compensation

Awards and Professional Affilliations
CIO Top 100 Award, CIO Magazine
Top 10 Digital County, Gartner Group
Quiet Storm Leadership Award, In-Focus Magazine
Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society (Public Administration)
Numerous Awards for Innovative Solutions, National Association of Counties, (NACo)
Technology Award of Excellence, Government Finance Officers Association, (GFOA)
Microsoft National Benchmark Award in Infrastructure Management
Member, Fort Worth Community Credit Union Audit Committee
Vice Chair, Blue Ribbon Panel on water services and governance
First Vice President, Dispute Resolution Services of North Texas
Member, Economic Development 4B Board
Volunteer Mediator, Dispute Resolution Services of North Texas
Member, CIO Executive Council
Member, IT Committee; NACITA Committee, National Association of Counties (NACo)
Member, Information Technology Senior Management Forum

Education
B.A., Political Science, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL
M.P.A., Public Administration, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Executive Education in Negotiation, Harvard University
Cross Boundary Government Technology - John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

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