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Paul Ballard named interim head of North County Transit District

A retired Coaster locomotive is shown at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo on March 24, 2023.
Mike Damron
A retired Coaster locomotive is shown at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo on March 24, 2023.

The North County Transit District's Board of Directors Monday named a transportation official who has served leadership roles in Texas and Denver as the agency's interim executive director.

Paul J. Ballard will will replace Matthew O. Tucker as head of the transit agency.

Ballard will take the position effective Aug. 28 for an initial four- month term to oversee the operations of the district and "support the NCTD Board of Directors during the executive director selection process," according to an NCTD statement.

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"We are very pleased to have identified someone with Mr. Ballard's executive-level experience to help guide the district in the coming months as the board conducts a process for the selection of a new executive director," said NCTD Board Chair Jewel Edson. "Paul will be a valuable resource for NCTD's Board and its employees during this transition."

Ballard recently served in similar interim CEO roles at Trinity Metro - Fort Worth Transportation Agency in Fort Worth, Texas, and at the Regional Transportation District in Denver.

According to NCTD, his previous roles also include positions as president of Progressive Transportation Services, president of American Transit Corporation, managing director at ATC/Vancom International, and general manager of operations and maintenance at Bi-State Development Agency.

Tucker joined NCTD in December of 2008.

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