Cleveland Ferguson III

Cleveland Ferguson III is Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the JTA. He focuses on transforming the JTA’s administrative operations, strategic planning and economic development strategies.

Ferguson’s innovative leadership has led the JTA in developing and deploying JTA University, JTA Enterprise Metrics Management System, as well as the JTA See and Say app. Under Ferguson’s leadership, the JTA was inducted into the North Florida Small Business Hall of Fame and received the 2018 Community Partner Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the 2018 Gold Bus Safety Excellence Award and the 2019 First Place APTA AdWheel Award.

He previously served as the Deputy CAO for the City of Jacksonville where he led the effort to expand the use of analytics through JaxScore, reform the delivery of citizen-based services and increase transparency into city operations.

Ferguson has a distinguished record of board service in civic, nonprofit, legal and international associations, including serving as a mayoral appointee to the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. This year, he serves on the Jacksonville Regional Chamber Board of Governors and is a member of Leadership Broward Class XXIII, Leadership Jacksonville (2010), Leadership Florida Class XXXIII, the 2017 Eno Center for Transportation’s Senior Executive Program and the2017 APTA International Study Mission on Safety and Infrastructure.

Ferguson received his Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law, and a B.S. degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU). He was conferred with a Doctor of Humane Letters by NSU in 2018.