When a recruiter approached Central Ohio Transit Authority President and CEO Monica Téllez-Fowler to see if she'd be interested in running her hometown transit agency in Dallas, she felt she had to pursue it, she told The Dispatch in an exclusive interview.
"I love what I do. I love transit and I believe in it. If it's my hometown and they're looking for someone, I felt like I owed it to them and to myself to at least explore that," she said.
Téllez-Fowler was announced as finalist to lead Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) on July 10. But DART's board ultimately voted July 14 to appoint Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. from Jacksonville, Florida. Tellez-Fowler told The Dispatch that she hasn't looked for another job since.
"My name is not in the hat for
any other jobs. I'm not out actively seeking another job. I'm committed to this place. I've said it before. I enjoy being here. I like being in Columbus. I'd like to stay," she said.
Whether the COTA Board of Trustees will allow Téllez-Fowler to remain in Columbus is yet to be seen. Her current contract is in effect until Dec. 31, and it's up to COTA's Board of Trustees to extend it.
The board amended her contract in May to let her claim severance benefits from the authority if they do not renew her contract for at least a three-year term at her current salary of $394,000 annually – one of the highest paid transit leaders among cities similar to Columbus.
COTA's board has given Téllez-Fowler several raises since she started in 2024, including about $11,000 in February 2025 and about $21,000 in January.
Her total compensation in 2025, including bonuses and other benefits, was $499,113, according to COTA payroll data obtained by The Dispatch.
The board and Téllez-Fowler are currently discussing her contract, and she's waiting to see what the board comes back to her with, she said.
Sean Mentel, chair of the COTA Board of Trustees, could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
Téllez-Fowler said she has had good relationships with individual members of the board and a "fairly good" relationship with the board as a whole.
"I don't know that any board member and I have a contentious relationship. And certainly, as a whole, I feel like the board does everything they can to support me and the work that COTA's doing," she said.
Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, @NathanRHart on X and nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: COTA CEO Monica Téllez-Fowler wants to remain in Columbus after Dallas opportunity
