Executive Leadership Team

Jeffrey H. Smith

Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

Jeffery H. Smith is the Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) directing the performance of passenger transportation services serving Jacksonville, Florida metropolitan region with an annual budget of $175M, 850 employees and providing public transit service seven days a week to the communities of Duval, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns counties.

Smith is responsible for the safety, productivity, and accountability of transit operations, including service planning, operations, and maintenance of all vehicles related to JTA's transit system including fixed route, bus rapid transit, paratransit, microtransit, and waterborne systems. Smith joined the JTA in 2021 with over 35 years of experience in the transportation industry. He was hired as the Assistant Vice President and Chief Transportation Officer. In 2023, he was promoted to Vice President of Transit Operations.

Before arriving in Jacksonville, Smith worked in the following capacities for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA): Director of Training and Instruction, Director of Rail Operations, Director of Bus Operations, GM of Rail Operations, GM of Bus Operations and Senior Manager of Bus Operations. Prior to working for the CTA, Smith was the President and CEO of Omega Transport Services, Inc. He is an expert in strategic planning, contract negotiations, management consulting, operations management, business needs assessments, and proposal development.

Smith holds an MBA from Purdue University and the following certifications from Villanova University: Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Six Sigma Lean Belt, and Six Sigma Green Belt. He also holds certifications in Transit Rail and Transit Safety and Security from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Greer Johnson Gillis

Senior Vice President/Chief Infrastructure & Development Officer

Greer Johnson Gillis is a senior vice president and Chief Infrastructure & Development Officer for the JTA. During her 29-year career, Ms. Gillis has implemented sustainable policies and managed large-scale infrastructure projects.

Ms. Gillis oversees the System Development Division and is responsible for the following departments: Automation & Innovation; Construction & Engineering; Planning & Sustainability; Facilities Management & Transit Amenities; Small Business & Community Impact; and the Capital Projects Office. Ms. Gillis joined the JTA in April 2020. In her first months at the JTA, Ms. Gillis established the JTA's Capital Projects Office to focus on efficient project delivery, the Sustainability Program Office to elevate sustainability and resiliency initiatives throughout the agency, and initiated the first phase of the Authority's strategic planning efforts.

In 2014, Ms. Gillis was honored by President Obama and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx as a White House Champion of Change: Transportation Ladders of Opportunity. In 2017, she was honored by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) with the Women Who Move the Nation Local Government Award. In 2022, Ms. Gillis was honored with the COMTO Thomas G. Newsom Founders' Leadership Award, which is the highest award given by the organization. It honors transportation executives and policymakers who have contributed to the growth and development of people of color within their organization. In 2008, she was appointed by the interim director of District (DC) Department of Transportation to serve as the city's transportation lead for the 2009 presidential inauguration.

Prior to serving at the JTA, Ms. Gillis held several executive positions in the District of Columbia Government, including commissioner on the Public Service Commission, director of the DC Department of General Services, and deputy director of the District Department of Transportation. She also has many years of private-sector experience working for several engineering companies.

Ms. Gillis is an active member of the Women's Transportation Seminar NE Florida Chapter and serves as the 1st Vice President of the COMTO Jacksonville Chapter. She is also a steering committee member of Elevate Women NE Florida, the City of Jacksonville's Better Jacksonville Plan Finance and Project Administration Committees, and a member of the Jacksonville' Women Network. She is a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2022, and a graduate of the 2022 Eno Center for Transportation's Senior Executive Program.

Ms. Gillis holds a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and a Master's of Science degree in civil engineering with a concentration in transportation, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia and Washington, DC.

Randall Barnes, CTP

Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer

Randall Barnes, CTP, is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), where he oversees the Authority's Finance and Technology Division. He brings more than 25 years of progressive financial leadership in treasury management, capital markets, debt administration, budgeting, financial planning, investments, liquidity management, risk management, and enterprise finance.

Barnes joins the JTA from Georgia Transmission Corporation, where he served as Director of Finance, Rates and Treasury. In that role, he oversaw treasury operations, managed a $3.3 billion debt portfolio, directed development of a $500 million operating budget and more than $1 billion in annual capital investments, and provided long-range financial planning and strategic recommendations to executive leadership and governing boards.

He returns to Jacksonville with deep roots in the local financial community, having previously served as Treasurer for both JEA and the City of Jacksonville. At JEA, he restructured a multi-billion-dollar debt portfolio and led the termination of the utility's interest rate swaps in 2024, reducing the overall risk profile of JEA’s debt. At the City of Jacksonville, he oversaw a $2.3 billion debt portfolio, refinanced more than $800 million in debt, and reduced outstanding debt by $462 million, producing significant annual debt service savings to improve the City’s credit ratings and allow the continued provision of services to the community. Across both roles, he led complex financing initiatives, strengthened investor relations programs, and worked closely with governing boards, rating agencies, financial institutions, and community stakeholders.

Earlier in his career, Barnes spent more than 16 years at the Tennessee Valley Authority in roles spanning accounts payable, treasury, corporate finance, and corporate investments, including managing corporate cash, long- and short-term debt programs and overseeing investment strategy for multibillion-dollar trust portfolios.

Barnes holds an MBA in Management Information Systems and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, both from Tennessee Technological University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP). He and his wife, Nikki, have two daughters – Sydney and Sunny – and are members of Glenwood Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

Jessica Shepler

Senior Vice President/Public Affairs

Jessica Shepler is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). In this role, Jessica oversees local, state and federal Government Affairs, Economic Development and Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Departments.

Prior to her current role, Jessica served as AVP and as Director of Government Affairs for the JTA. She also previously worked alongside her husband to start a family business, served as the Director of City Policy at the City of Jacksonville and as Director of Public Policy for JAX Chamber.

Jessica is a native of Jacksonville and attended the University of North Florida. Her expertise in public affairs and government relations helps guide the JTA each day.