July-August 2022 - 20

Carlos
Cruz-Casas, P.E.
Chief Innovation
Officer
Miami-Dade County
Department of
Transportation and
Public Works (DTPW)
Carlos Cruz-Casas does not let an opportunity
pass him by. Whether it's a chance to
experience a community's needs firsthand,
build a new partnership or challenge the status
quo, he is prepared to take advantage of
those opportunities and affect change for the
betterment of the Miami-Dade region. His
enthusiasm for transit innovation has delivered
improved mobility options, while his
leadership and visionary approach is credited
with creating a dynamic work environment.
Cruz-Casas has been working on mobility
improvements within Miami-Dade County
for more than a decade. He began in the
private sector as an engineer on a variety of
projects and his varied background equips
him with a holistic approach to mobility.
As chief transportation manager at the city
of Miami, he launched the Miami Trolley,
introduced a carshare program, as well as a
bikeshare program. At Miami-Dade County
DTPW, he delivered a bus network redesign,
led Miami-Dade's Vision Zero program,
Miami-Dade's AV Vision Plan, MiamiDade's
Shared Mobility Plan, and the Knight
Foundation AV Initiative among many others.
During the pandemic, he leaned into innovative
solutions to solve several challenges
including investigating how to retrofit
buses for real-time information and using
Jenapher L. Dues
Manager of Human
Resources
C-TRAN
Jenapher L. Dues joined C-TRAN as a staffing
generalist and was then promoted to recruitment
and compensation specialist. She is currently
the human resources manager and has
been integral to the selection and retention
of the organization's employees since 2014.
Dues is known for her passion for public
transit and what it represents to the community
and her compassion for applicants
and employees. Dues spent the majority of
2020 and 2021 tirelessly navigating myriad
of COVID-19 issues. She managed the vastly
increased number of unemployment claims,
and she helped the team manage the multitude
of absences related to COVID-19 exposures
or illness. She also oversaw vaccinations
efforts for more than half the workforce. But
she never lost her desire to help, routinely
checking on colleagues who were ill or awaiting
test results, regularly working evenings
and weekends to provide support for staff.
Dues is credited with keeping C-TRAN's service
levels intact through engaging recruitment
ads, crafting a multimedia program
that featured C-TRAN employees across the
organization, showcasing the positive culture
by allowing employees to speak unscripted in
a genuine, impactful way. Applications started
increasing soon after the ads started airing
20 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | JULY/AUGUST 2022
Putting ourselves in the shoes
of the users is the best way to
really understand their needs.
And when that isn't possible, find
ways to elevate their voices.
supplemental contracted service on high-demand
routes that suffered overcrowding
due to social distancing requirements.
These efforts take a motivated team and bringing
a group of people together to work toward
a common goal is something Cruz-Casas
has perfected. Colleagues say he promotes a
positive environment where he supports and
facilitates their professional intellectual growth.
As one colleague noted, Cruz-Casas is involved
with pushing the innovation agenda across
the mobility industry. His advocacy is cited as
a reason for the annual CoMotion conference
that is held in Miami and brings startups and
innovative companies together. He serves on
the board of directors at the Open Mobility
Foundation and speaks regularly around
the country on pressing mobility topics.
Fast Fact: Cruz-Casas marks one of his great
accomplishments as instilling an appreciation
of safe mobility in his young children.
MassTransitmag.com/21276489
I enjoy working with people who
believe in the mission of what
transit does for the community.
locally. The attrition from the training program
has dropped from approximately 30 percent
to less than five percent, creating significant
savings related to hiring and training costs.
Her efforts also make C-TRAN an example
to other employers. In Clark County, Wash.,
minorities make up 22.5 percent of the overall
population while women make up 50.6 percent.
Today, two-thirds of C-TRAN's executive
leadership team are women; the minority
workforce has grown to 30 percent; and
the overall female workforce holds steady.
Dues is active in the Washington State Transit
Association and regularly contributes to a webbased
job description repository used by transit
agencies across the state. She also responds
to American Bus Benchmarking Group
requests for information and data analysis.
Fast Fact: Dues was a founding member of
C-TRAN's Diversity Team, helping choose participants
and plan the curriculum.
MassTransitmag.com/21276465
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July-August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July-August 2022
