Leadership
Our Collective Passions Guide the Road Ahead
At COTA, we are proud of our strong leadership team that is dedicated to improving the quality of our community’s transit system and the lives it touches. The COTA team includes our executive leadership, directors and board members. At every level, COTA is committed to helping you get where you’re going.
Steering Us Toward Transportation Innovation, Quality and Access
COTA’s leadership is committed to excellence in serving all of our stakeholders — customers, employees and taxpayers. We deliver quality transportation services and conduct business courteously, safely, ethically and reliably. Every day, we demonstrate fiscally responsible and community-conscious leadership.
Monica Téllez-Fowler
President/CEO
Monica Téllez-Fowler has a decade-long track record of excellence in transit, fiscal operations, human resources and information technology. She joined COTA as Chief Operating Officer in March 2023, following her tenure as Deputy CEO/Treasurer of Clark County Public Transit Benefit Area Authority (C-TRAN) in Vancouver, Washington where she fully embraced innovation and collaboration. Téllez-Fowler also served as Chief Financial Officer of Trinity Metro in Fort Worth, Texas prior to C-TRAN. She earned a Master’s of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Tarleton State University, graduating as a distinguished scholar.
Garth Weithman
Deputy CEO
Garth Weithman’s professional career is defined by his commitment to serving Central Ohio and ensuring that transportation is a pathway to success for everyone. Weithman was promoted to Deputy CEO in July 2024 after serving more than two years as Chief of Staff where he was senior adviser to the President/CEO, COTA’s leadership team and liaison to the COTA Board of Trustees. Before joining COTA, Weithman was the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Advocacy at the United Way of Central Ohio. He began his career as a Public Affairs Specialist at the Mid-Ohio Regional Commission (MORPC). Garth earned his Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management at The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Otterbein University.
Tanya Salyers
Chief of Staff
Nikki Brandon
Chief Human Resources Officer
Vaughn Francis
Deputy Chief Operating Officer
Patrick Harris
Chief External Relations Officer
Amy Hockman
Deputy Chief Operating Officer
Early Jackson
Chief Financial Officer
Dorinda McCombs
Chief LinkUS Program Officer
Sophia Mohr
Chief Innovation and Technology Officer
Christina Wendell
Chief Legal/General Counsel