Angel Peña

Angel Peña

Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Angel Peña is a bilingual customer experience and results-driven transit executive with nearly 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. His leadership has been instrumental in managing teams and projects that transformed infrastructure, enhanced operational performance, and restored public trust in some of the nation’s most complex transit systems. As RTD’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Peña is specifically tasked with advancing the agency’s vision for an operationally safe, reliable, and customer-focused transit system while, at the same time, strengthening relationships with customers, the community, and stakeholders.

His leadership and commitment to equity, safety, and service reliability have been evident in every role he has held, from engineer to executive leader. His expertise in large-scale capital infrastructure renewal, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement has positioned him as a forward-thinking leader capable of addressing RTD’s most pressing challenges.

Peña has held senior leadership roles at major public transit agencies, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). He also brings private-sector leadership experience, having served as Vice President, Rail and Transit Leader for the Texas/Mountain Region at STV, Inc. There, he collaborated with transit agencies across the region, leveraging his public sector insights to help improve service delivery, project execution, and long-term infrastructure planning.

As Chief of Capital Transformation/Integrated Transit Programs at the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), Mr. Peña spearheaded one of the most extensive infrastructure renewal efforts in the agency’s history. He led the Green Line Transformation Program, a $5.4 billion initiative modernizing the nation’s oldest light rail system. Under his leadership, the MBTA accelerated track, power, and signal improvements, introduced new accessible stations, and secured funds to acquire the new generation of railcars to expand capacity and enhance service reliability. He also successfully guided the agency through the entry to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Core Capacity program, ensuring long-term investments in system modernization.

At the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Peña developed and oversaw agency-wide quality assurance, internal compliance, and operational reviews as Managing Director of the Office of Quality Assurance, Internal Compliance and Oversight (QICO). He led the first-ever independent evaluations of key operational areas—including service delivery, engineering, and capital programs—to improve safety, performance, and fiscal responsibility. He also played a key role in the SafeTrack program, providing quality oversight during WMATA’s accelerated track maintenance initiative, which addressed long-standing infrastructure deficiencies and improved system safety.

Peña is not just a transit executive—he is a bridge builder between agencies, elected officials, and the communities they serve. He has restored public trust by implementing transparent, data-driven performance tracking and fostering community engagement programs that give riders and stakeholders a voice in transit decision-making. He has developed public outreach strategies that reached over 5,000 email customer subscribers, board members, and elected officials, providing real-time updates on service improvements and capital projects.

His commitment to equity has been central to his work, ensuring that infrastructure investments improve access and opportunity for all riders. Peña has vastly expanded community engagement in transit public engagement through rounds of public meetings, community listening sessions, and digital dialogue tools to improve project planning and execution with a customer-first focus.

Peña holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Yacambú in Venezuela. He is a graduate of the prestigious Leadership American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Class of 2017 and was recognized in Mass Transit Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for his contributions to the transit industry.