On Tuesday, October 17, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors elected Gary Slagel, who represents the cities of Richardson and University Park, and the towns of Addison and Highland Park, as their chair for a two-year term. 

“I feel very privileged to take on this important role at such an exciting time for our region,” said Slagel. “DART continues to develop industry-leading programs to better position itself to serve the needs of our riders and residents in a rapidly changing environment. Through the extensive transit network we have built here over the last 40 years, and the exciting new programs under development, DART will continue to benefit our communities for years to come.

Slagel, a former mayor of the City of Richardson, is the CEO at CapitalSoft, Inc. He is a former president of the Metroplex Mayor's Association, and a former president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).

“Gary’s long history of exceptional leadership throughout the North Texas region makes him the ideal person for this role as we develop the future of our agency together,” said Nadine Lee, DART president & CEO. “I look forward to working closely with Gary to continue to ensure our agency makes a positive impact on the lives of our riders, our residents, and the many communities we serve.”

Appointed to the DART Board in 2011, Slagel graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University, and an MBA from Abilene Christian University.

Dallas representative Rodney Schlosser was elected vice chair. He is a senior vice president of business development and strategic partnerships at Asurion and was appointed to the DART Board in 2020.

Representative for the cities of Plano and Farmers Branch, M. Nathan Barbera was elected secretary. A partner at Albin Oldner Law PLLC, Barbera was appointed to the DART Board in 2022.

Flora M. Hernandez, representing the City of Dallas, was elected assistant secretary. Hernandez has served as vice-chair of the City of Dallas Civil Service Board, and as chair of the Mi Escuelita Preschool Board. She was appointed to the DART Board in 2021.