Richard A. Anderson
Executive Director
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority

Dick Anderson was elected executive director of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) in March 2008. At GRTA, the state authority charged with improving mobility, air quality and land-use practices in Georgia, Anderson has built partnerships with other government and civic organizations, such as the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Georgia Department of Transportation and MARTA; improved the region’s transportation plans; and built an even more effective GRTA staff. Under Anderson’s leadership GRTA’s Express service has seen a 50% increase in ridership and Anderson has been asked by Governor Perdue to lead an effort to create a strategic transportation plan for the state of Georgia.

Anderson had a long and distinguished career in the telecommunications industry. He joined South Central Bell as an account executive in 1981 and rose through the ranks to become President of Customer Markets. In 2005, he was named vice chairman — planning & administration for BellSouth and was responsible for all corporate-level staff functions. Following the merger of AT&T and BellSouth, he was named group president — global business services where he had profit and loss responsibility for a $32B business. Subsequently, he retired to pursue opportunities in public service.

As chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 2007, Anderson led an organization representing over 4,000 companies with more than 700,000 employees representing the engine of Georgia’s economy. Anderson focused during his chairmanship on recruiting companies, creating high quality jobs, improving quality of life, reducing traffic congestion, improving education, and protecting vital water resources. He also helped lead a campaign to win a direct Delta Airlines route from Atlanta to Shanghai and recruited a wave of overseas investment, leading Site Selection magazine to name the chamber one of the top ten economic development organizations in the entire nation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that under his leadership, the Chamber “filled a vacuum in state policymaking, proposing action on crises ranging from transportation funding to water to Grady Memorial Hospital.”

Anderson has been named one of the 100 most influential Atlantans by the Business Chronicle and been nominated by President Bush to serve on the oversight board for the Internal Revenue Service. Anderson serves on the boards of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Clark Atlanta University, Camp Twin Lakes and Chick-fil-A Bowl. He also sits on the board of advisors for Kennesaw State University and Murray State University and led Atlanta’s bid for Super Bowl 2009.

Anderson graduated magna cum laude with his Bachelor of Science degree in marketing in 1980, and received a M.B.A. in 1981 from Murray State University. In 1994, he was elected the “MSU Outstanding Alumnus.” He and his wife, Maureen, have three children and live in Roswell, Ga. where he is an active member and leader at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church.