ATLANTA — Collie Greenwood, CEO of MARTA, has resigned from his position.
MARTA Chief General Counsel Jonathan Hunt announced the change at Thursday’s board meeting.
“Collie Greenwood, due to immigration and personal matters has elected to leave his employment and enter early retirement as the authority’s General Manager and CEO,” Hunt said.
In a statement, MARTA said that Greenwood was a Canadian citizen. He was recently notified that his permanent resident card, or green card, was forthcoming after his employment authorization document, work permit, expired earlier this summer.
MARTA said Greenwood’s work permit expired June 18, beginning the process that finished Thursday where he ended his tenure as MARTA’s General Manager and CEO.
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“Upon expiration of his work permit on June 18, 2025, and out of an abundance of caution, Mr. Greenwood ceased working, personally notified all MARTA board members and executive leadership individually and signed a delegation of authority to Ms. Allen,” MARTA said in a statement. “Mr. Greenwood’s Canadian visa is valid, and he remains in this country legally awaiting imminent delivery of his Green Card.”
Hunt also said at the meeting that the board had mutually agreed to the separation, so the organization will pay the remainder of his contract term out as severance to him, per the terms of his employment agreement.
MARTA Chair Jennifer Ide said she thanked Greenwood for his service, and was doing so despite his not being present at the meeting due to his immigration status.
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Ide said MARTA was being left in good standing financially and in terms of programs.
“It is very unfortunate that immigration is a very complicated issue in the United States today, but Mr. Greenwood needed to make a decision for him and his family and his MARTA family will miss him tremendously,” Ide added.
In a similar vein, MARTA said in its statement that the “immigration process is extensive and has had an impact on Mr. Greenwood’s personal and professional progress.”
MARTA said it remains supportive of Greenwood, but that his retirement had resolved the challenges presented.
“My wife and I have decided this is a good opportunity to take an early retirement and spend more time with our family and friends,” Greenwood said in a statement. “I do want to thank the board, the executive leadership team, and everyone at MARTA for their support and their continued work to improve and grow transit service in this region.”
Before joining the MARTA organization as Chief of Bus Operations in 2019, Greenwood worked at the Toronto Transit Commission, eventually rising to the position of Chief Service Officer. In 2021, Greenwood was named GM/CEO.
Chief Customer Experience Officer Rhonda Allen was named Acting General Manager and CEO ahead of a board decision on who will be the interim GM/CEO.
In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, Mayor Andre Dickens thanked Greenwood for his service at MARTA and wished him success in whatever he does next.
“As we look ahead, my Administration remains committed to building a world-class transit system for Atlanta and the entire region. A safe, reliable and connected MARTA is essential to our goals for equity, economic mobility and sustainability, and to my vision of a city built for the future with opportunity for all,” Dickens said in a statement.
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