RTC board picks deputy chief Angela Castro to lead Southern Nevada's transit agency as M.J. Maynard-Carey retires

What happened

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has chosen longtime executive Angela Castro as its next chief executive officer, the Las Vegas Sun reported. Members of the RTC Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at their Thursday morning meeting to approve her for the job. The Sun described the RTC as one of the largest public transit agencies in the United States.

Castro will officially take the role on Jan. 15, 2027. She succeeds current CEO M.J. Maynard-Carey, who will retire the day before. Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, who chairs the RTC board, said in a statement that "Angela understands this agency, this community and the critical role transportation plays in Southern Nevada's future."

Who is Angela Castro

18 years inside the agency

Castro is now the RTC's deputy chief executive officer and has 18 years of experience at the agency, according to the Sun. She has held leadership posts in chief strategy, policy and marketing. In her current role she advises Maynard-Carey and oversees government affairs, media and marketing, procurement, safety and security, and transportation demand management.

Earlier career and education

Before the RTC, Castro worked in marketing and media roles with the Las Vegas Monorail, MGM International and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. She is originally from Guam and moved to Las Vegas in 1998 to earn a bachelor's degree in public relations from UNLV. She later earned an MBA from Regis University and completed the Vegas Chamber's 10-month Leadership Las Vegas program.

The Sun reported that she has served on community boards including the Asian Community Development Council and the Las Vegas Stadium Authority's Baseball Stadium Oversight Committee. In 2018, Vegas Inc. named her to its list of 40 people under 40 making an impact in the community.

Work RTC officials highlighted

RTC officials said Castro helped lead the effort to secure fuel revenue indexing, which funds roadway projects across Southern Nevada, and worked with federal partners on other infrastructure investments. As deputy CEO, she also pushed for more contracting opportunities for small business owners through the agency's RiSE program. More regional transportation and growth coverage is in our development section.

The outgoing CEO's tenure

Maynard-Carey was selected to lead the RTC in November 2019 after also serving as deputy CEO, the Sun reported. A UNLV graduate, she spent 25 years in the Las Vegas hospitality industry before joining the commission in 2007. She guided the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic, with ridership gradually increasing since 2021, and recently pointed to a nearly 29% drop in passenger-on-operator assaults this year.

A budget gap awaits the new leader

One of the RTC's biggest concerns is a $118 million budget shortfall in the coming years, which the agency said could threaten some bus routes and the system's overall reliability. Earlier this year, the RTC floated fare increases and route changes as a way to close part of that gap. It would be the system's first fare increase in 15 years.

Many transit riders criticized the idea, according to the Sun. They argued it would not improve the RTC's budget, reliability or safety issues and would not draw more people to public transportation.

Castro's stated priorities

When she accepted the appointment on Nov. 12, Castro thanked her family and RTC coworkers and committed to strengthening the transportation network and improving safety, the Sun reported. In a statement, she said she was "honored to lead this organization into its next chapter" and pledged to work with the board and regional partners on the challenges ahead.

What to watch next

• Castro takes over as CEO on Jan. 15, 2027, with Maynard-Carey set to retire the day before.
• How the RTC addresses its $118 million budget shortfall, which the agency said could threaten some bus routes and reliability.
• Whether the fare increases and route changes the RTC floated earlier this year move forward, which would be the first fare hike in 15 years.