CEDAR HILL MAYOR CHOSEN AS NEXT REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL LEADER
Denton councilmember Jill Jester and Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez also named officers for 2026-27
PRESS RELEASEContact: Brian Wilson (817) 704-2511 June 11, 2026 (Arlington, Texas) – The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) is proud to announce its new chair: Cedar Hill Mayor Stephen Mason, who on Thursday was elected to lead the 45-member policymaking body for the next year. Mason replaces Johnson County Commissioner Rick Bailey, who has chaired the RTC for the past 12 months. Denton County Councilmember Jill Jester has been elected vice chair for 2026-27, and Manny Ramirez, Commissioner, Tarrant County Precinct 4, will serve as secretary. Mason was appointed to the RTC in May 2024, Jester in August 2024 and Ramirez in January 2023. The Regional Transportation Council, the transportation policymaking body of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), includes local elected or appointed officials from the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth area and representatives from the region’s transportation providers. The RTC oversees transportation planning for the nation’s fourth-largest metropolitan area, which is home to more than 8.5 million residents. The policymaking body guides the development of roadway, rail and bicycle-pedestrian plans and programs; allocates transportation funding; and recommends projects to the Texas Transportation Commission for other programs. The RTC also works with NCTCOG staff and regional transportation partners to coordinate transportation services throughout the region and help ensure compliance with federal air quality standards. The RTC often takes an innovative approach to addressing the region’s transportation challenges and preparing for future growth. One example is Regional Transit 2.0, an effort recently launched by NCTCOG to help transportation managers, board members and elected officials develop a next-generation transit system for a region whose population is expected to eclipse 12 million by 2050. Jester serves as chair of the subcommittee, while Mason is vice chair. NCTCOG and the RTC will continue working between legislative sessions on a plan to develop a transit system that meets the needs of a region expanding beyond the boundaries established when the existing transit providers were created decades ago. The RTC is also expected to work with regional partners in advance of the 2027 Texas legislative session to identify transportation priorities and opportunities that support the region’s long-term mobility needs. The new officers will serve in their positions through June 2027. For more information, visit NCTCOG.org/rtc. About the Regional Transportation Council: The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) of the North Central Texas Council of Governments has served as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for regional transportation planning in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1974. The MPO works in cooperation with the region’s transportation providers to address the complex transportation needs of the rapidly growing metropolitan area. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties. The RTC’s 45 members include local elected or appointed officials from the metropolitan area and representatives from each of the area’s transportation providers. More information can be found at NCTCOG.org.
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