Leslie S. Richards is the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the fifth-largest state Department of Transportation in the United States, and the former CEO and General Manager of SEPTA, the sixth-largest transit system in the country, serving the greater Delaware Valley.
Trained as a planner, she is known for her commitment to inclusive community engagement and her ability to align complex interests across sectors. The first woman and the first professional planner to lead PennDOT, Richards prioritized the integration of quality-of-life and accessibility considerations into major infrastructure decisions. She led both agencies through significant crises—including a global pandemic and cybersecurity threats—while advancing long-term capital and modernization programs.
Richards is nationally recognized for her leadership in integrating emerging technologies into transportation systems. Her work has emphasized the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and smart infrastructure to drive innovation and improve public service.
She has served as Chair of the Pennsylvania Public-Private Partnership (P3) Board, Chair of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and currently chairs the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.
Richards received a Master of Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and was appointed to the faculty in 2020.
