Meet Dottie Watkins of CapMetro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dottie Watkins.

Hi Dottie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Austin. When I was a student at the University of Texas, I took a job as a part-time bus operator for the UT Shuttle system at the encouragement of my father. I am a second-generation CapMetro employee, my dad was a diesel mechanic/maintenance manager within CapMetro until his retirement. I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from UT Austin, but I had been bitten by the transit bug and took a full-time job training bus operators after my graduation.

Since then, I’ve done just about everything in bus operations (except repairing buses!), working my way to becoming the VP of Bus Operations before moving on to become the Chief Operating Officer and later the Deputy CEO. I am honored to have been recently named by our Board of Directors to serve as the Interim President/CEO of CapMetro upon the resignation of Randy Clarke who is on his way to DC to manage WMATA.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles, but that’s what makes the road worth traveling. Early in my career, I sometimes felt overlooked and struggled to get the role(s) I wanted and knew I could perform. I was a young female in an industry that was largely dominated by males and was eager to do more. I was fortunate to have a boss who became a great supporter and mentor that encouraged me to go back to school and get a master’s degree. I hold an MBA from St. Edwards University which has benefitted me greatly as I’ve moved into leadership roles in this organization.

We’ve been impressed with CapMetro, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Managing a transit system is a lot like solving a dozen intersecting Sudoku puzzles simultaneously each day. A lot goes into creating the systems and structures necessary to operate the buses, vans and trains that serve our community every day. I am known for being a level-headed and pragmatic leader that is going to work collaboratively to get things done. I absolutely love interacting with the amazing staff at CapMetro. Having once been a bus operator myself, I appreciate that the folks on the frontline of our agency are actively fulfilling our mission every day and the rest of us are here to support and enable them to do that.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
CapMetro is in an exciting period as we work with our partners at the City of Austin and Austin Transit Partnership to implement Project Connect. We are already building the first two bus rapid transit lines and are nearing the completion of the 30% design milestone for two new light rail lines. This system growth requires the corollary growth of the CapMetro organization to provide the support necessary to enable service operations day in and day out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.capmetro.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capmetroatx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capmetroatx
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CapMetroCEO