Executive Director - Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

San Antonio, TX
Full Time
Executive
Executive Director – Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO)

Shape regional transportation for over 2 million residents in one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing metropolitan regions in the United States.

The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) seeks an experienced strategic leader to serve as its next Executive Director, a role requiring both vision and a grounding in the real-world complexities of transportation policy, intergovernmental coordination, and internal transformation. Reporting to the Transportation Policy Board (TPB), the Executive Director will steer a team of dedicated professionals and guide the organization’s planning, programming, and partnerships into its next chapter of relevance and impact.

Greater San Antonio MSA: A Region on the Rise
The San Antonio–New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is home to more than 2.65 million residents, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing regions in the United States. Encompassing Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, and Atascosa counties, the MSA blends urban energy with small-town charm and Hill Country serenity. Fueled by rapid job growth, military and tech sector expansion, and a high quality of life, the Greater San Antonio MSA continues to attract new residents at a steady pace, adding tens of thousands annually through both domestic and international migration.

This is a pivotal moment for AAMPO and its next Executive Director. With plans underway to expand AAMPO’s geographic reach and board membership with additional surrounding counties, the organization is poised to elevate its regional influence and statewide reputation. The incoming Executive Director will have the rare opportunity to redefine what excellence in regional planning looks like in the San Antonio area by uniting a broader coalition of cities and counties, improving performance and transparency across core programs, and positioning AAMPO as a model of innovation, collaboration, and best-in-class delivery. This job opportunity is not just about sustaining federal compliance, it’s about building a next-generation MPO that leads with purpose, earns the trust of elected leaders, and drives measurable impact in mobility, equity, and economic development across urban, suburban, and rural areas within the region.

The Executive Director will join AAMPO at a pivotal time of organizational and regional transformation. With new board members, evolving interagency dynamics, and rising expectations for transparency and performance, this role demands a proven transportation leader who thrives in complexity, builds trust, and drives results.

The new Executive Director will:
  • Restore technical credibility and lead the rebuilding of core programs like the TIP, which has recently experienced challenges in data integrity and execution.
  • Develop internal staff capacity, establishing a culture of accountability, communication, and support across a multidisciplinary team.
  • Build consensus across diverse jurisdictions—urban, suburban, and rural—and within a changing policy board landscape.
  • Elevate performance and vision, setting a new standard for transparency, responsiveness, and strategic alignment across AAMPO’s planning functions.
  • Lead operational excellence, overseeing budget development, contract management (including oversight of a $1M HDR support contract), staff development, and board relations.
  • Transition AAMPO’s data systems, including a critical migration from a legacy Microsoft Access database to a more robust Knack platform for project tracking and TIP management.

About the Alamo Area MPO
Covering Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, and Kendall Counties, AAMPO is responsible for shaping long-range and short-term transportation investment decisions across a region of more than 2 million residents. Through its development of the Mobility 2050 Long-Range Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), AAMPO coordinates with federal, state, and local agencies, including FHWA, FTA, and TxDOT, to ensure the region’s transportation future is both visionary and implementable.

AAMPO is funded fully through federal dollars, with a $3.4 million operating budget and a proposed expansion from 17 to 20 FTEs in FY 2026. The team is multidisciplinary, nimble, and deeply committed to the public interest.

The Opportunity
The new Executive Director will take the helm at a critical juncture for AAMPO, a time of transformation, recalibration, and regional expansion.

Internally, the organization is addressing performance gaps in key programs like the TIP, implementing a much-needed database migration, and working to rebuild communication, staff development, and internal accountability. Several high-profile studies are underway or planned, involving up to 15 special planning studies, which require coordination, resource alignment, and execution standards.

Externally, AAMPO is navigating a period of significant governance change: the AAMPO Board is in the process of expanding to include multiple additional counties, a move that will reshape representation, priorities, and planning dynamics. The new Executive Director will play a central role in managing this expansion, working with both existing and incoming jurisdictions that preserve balance, equity, and functionality across rural, suburban, and urban constituencies
.
This is a highly strategic role that requires the ability to earn trust across diverse stakeholders, mediate competing interests, and clearly articulate AAMPO’s unique value within the regional transportation ecosystem.

Key Planning and Programming Responsibilities
  • Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) FY 2025–2028
    • 81 projects totaling $2.69 billion in transportation investment
  • Mobility 2050 Long-Range Plan
    • 197 projects representing over $15 billion in investment through FY 2050
  • Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
    • Bipartisan, multimodal work program updated biennially
  • Data modernization and TIP database transition
    • Migrating from Access to Knack for improved performance and transparency
  • Contract oversight and integration
    • Managing third-party technical support, including a $1 million HDR planning contract

The Ideal Candidate
The next Executive Director will be an experienced leader who pairs technical fluency with emotional intelligence and strategic clarity. They will bring a comprehensive understanding of MPO regulations, planning cycles, and funding frameworks, and will have demonstrated success leading complex transportation efforts in a politically nuanced environment.

This person builds internal cohesion and sets a high standard for execution, raising expectations while also developing the team’s confidence and capacity. They are a deft communicator, capable of transforming dense transportation policy into options and insights that energize a policy board. They listen well, read people effectively, and know how to move a room toward consensus without dominating it.

Most importantly, the successful candidate will lead with integrity, empathy, and conviction. They will possess the moral courage to make hard decisions and the interpersonal skill to sustain trust while doing so.

AAMPO’s next Executive Director is not only a transportation planner or public administrator, but a systems-level thinker, a change agent, and a diplomatic architect of regional alignment.

Key Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, public administration, engineering, transportation, or related field (Master’s preferred)
  • At least 9 years of leadership experience, with a strong record in transportation planning, public-sector management, and interagency collaboration
  • Experience with or within a Metropolitan Planning Organization or equivalent regional, state, or federal entity
  • Familiarity with Texas transportation systems, MPO governance, and TxDOT coordination preferred
  • Demonstrated success managing professional teams, board relations, technical plans, and public-facing communication

Culture, Values & Why AAMPO
AAMPO's Vision: To be the premier metropolitan planning organization in the United States.

Core Values include teamwork, respect, ethics, communication, innovation, and knowledge-sharing—values the next Executive Director must actively model and foster.
AAMPO offers:
  • Flexible work schedules with core hours and hybrid options
  • A tight-knit, mission-driven team with opportunities to wear multiple hats
  • Direct access to impact, from shaping regional planning strategy to influencing multi-billion-dollar infrastructure decisions
  • A commitment to values such as equity, communication, innovation, and stewardship
  • Regional momentum – San Antonio is booming, and AAMPO is at the center of shaping its infrastructure future
The FY 2026 organizational plan includes strategic investment in communications, modeling, GIS, and long-range planning roles, all under the leadership of the Executive Director.

Compensation & Benefits
  • Salary Range: $$149,134 - $252,224
  • Excellent retirement and healthcare benefits
  • Supportive onboarding and relocation assistance available

Ready to Lead?
This is a rare opportunity to lead a respected regional agency through a transformational period of expansion, innovation, and performance elevation.
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