Jerry Benson
The Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to appoint Jerry Benson as UTA's president and chief executive officer. Benson has been serving as UTA’s interim president and chief executive officer for the last year.
Benson, who has more than three decades of public transportation experience, has worked for UTA for 32 years. He previously served as UTA’s vice president of operations, chief operating officer, chief performance officer, director of communications and director of human resources.
While at UTA, he implemented programs that have increased the reliability of the bus and rail network, and he led operations planning to open five rail lines within three years.
“Mr. Benson is a highly qualified and trusted leader, well regarded by employees, local officials and stakeholders, and he is respected throughout the national transit industry,” remarked UTA Board Chair H. David Burton. “Beyond his experience, he is passionate about the work UTA does and understands how our services affect the daily lives of riders. He wants UTA to be successful and earn the confidence of the people we serve.”
Benson has a doctorate degree in organizational communication, a master’s in human resource management and a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from the University of Utah. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah.
“I care deeply about our customers who rely on our services to get to work, school and about their daily lives, and I care about the 2,400 incredible UTA employees who work hard every day to provide great service to our riders and the community,” Benson said.
“Over the next weeks and months, I will be specifically reaching out to our riders, employees and community stakeholders, listening to their issues and ideas about how UTA can better meet their needs. While I ride the system and meet with elected officials and other stakeholders every week, there are many voices I have not heard from recently, and I want to get a fresh perspective," he added.