# New DART CEO Starts Job Amid Florida Investigation

> DART's new CEO begins Monday as his former agency faces criminal probe into $40m deficit.
- Title: New DART CEO Starts Job Amid Florida Investigation | Shortify
- Summary: DART's new CEO begins Monday as his former agency faces criminal probe into $40m deficit. Nat Ford starts as DART CEO while his Florida transit agency faces…
- Keywords: nat ford, dart, jacksonville transportation authority, florida attorney general, dallas, budget deficit, criminal investigation, transit agency, news, local, CEO, Starts
- Source: FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth — https://fox4news.com/news/new-dart-ceo-starts-today-amid-investigation-former-agency
- Author: Lori Brown
- Published: 2026-10-26T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nat ford, dart, jacksonville transportation authority, florida attorney general, dallas, budget deficit, criminal investigation, transit agency, news, local
## Nat Ford begins DART CEO role
Nathaniel Ford starts Monday as Dallas Area Rapid Transit's new CEO with $515,000 annual salary.
## Florida agency under criminal investigation
Jacksonville Transportation Authority faces criminal probe into $40 million budget shortfall.
## Ford's previous agency deficit
JTA had $40 million deficit with 30% of budget spent on pandemic-related cuts.
## Ford's response to questions
Ford acknowledged JTA's financial struggles but said he will not let Florida investigations delay his DART work.
## Investigation details
Investigators look into JTA's spending including hotel stays, travel, and a $10,000 Spain trip.
## DART leaders support Ford
DART board remains confident in Ford despite Florida investigation.
## Ford's dual roles
Ford will hold both DART CEO and JTA roles until January 8, 2027.
## Key takeaway

Nat Ford starts as DART CEO while his Florida transit agency faces criminal investigation into $40 million budget shortfall.