FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County has a new transit department director.

Coree Cuff Lonergan, who previously was vice president of project development and implementation planning for Washington Metro Area Transit (WMAT), has been tapped to lead Broward County’s flagship services such as transit, paratransit and rail.

She replaces Chris Walton who retired after serving the community for 22 years.

Lonergan, who has more than 25 years of transportation experience leading transportation teams and transit-related initiatives, started her new job on Feb. 27.

She will oversee about 430 employees, a multimillion-dollar budget and the operation of 411 hybrid buses, 65 community shuttle buses, 337 paratransit vehicles covering over 428 square miles in Broward County.

In Washington, Lonergan wore many hats including vice president of project development and implementation planning and executive vice president for capital delivery and rail operations control center, where she led a workforce of 6,000, according to her bio.

She also oversaw all rail movement system-wide, constructing and delivering safety-critical infrastructure projects, developing and planning new projects, executing a new system signal renewal program, and providing engineering and technical services for the operations and maintenance department.

As the vice president project development and implementation planning, Lonergan’s team provided early project delivery services including project scope, schedule and budget, contract delivery strategies, long-range track access planning and the management of over $500 Million in technical services contracts.

Lonergan has also served as the managing director for the Silver Line Operations and Maintenance Phase 2 procurement effort, a new rail service which includes 11.5 miles of new track and six new stations including one at the Dulles International Airport, last year.

Lonergan was also responsible for overseeing the technical skills training program for bus mechanics and operators, managing 1,000 buses across 11,500 bus stops.

Previously, Lonergan served as chief engineer for Maintenance of Way capital improvement projects for CSX, and as a civil engineer with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

Prior to joining Metro in Washington, Lonergan and her staff kept the lights on in Philadelphia at Exelon Energy (formerly PECO Energy) with a maintenance team of 150 linemen and underground mechanics responsible for making sure the city was never without power.

Her leadership at Exelon helped her gain her next leadership position as chief engineer at CSX, one of the nation’s largest Class 1 freight railroads.

She was the first African American woman to serve in that position and cultivated a culture of leadership with continuous team development.

Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher said Lonergan is "a great" addition to the government agency.

"Ms. Lonergan is a perfect match for the Transportation Department," said Fisher. "She has the skill, experience and drive to bring our Transportation Department to new levels of efficiency and service. After meeting with her and letting her know my priorities for our transportation department, I am confident that Ms. Lonergan will bring the skills and expertise needed to take our transportation system to the next level."

Todd D. Chester, a senior advisor for WMAT, said Lonergin is an exceptional leader.

"I’ve partnered with Coree to help her build and develop her dynamic team. Coree believes in learning and development as a pathway for her team to optimize their performance for WMATA and our customers," he said. "She keeps shining."

"I am delighted to have found such a talented and experienced professional in the Transportation industry," said Broward County Administrator Monica Cepero. "I am confident that Ms. Lonergan will bring BCT to new heights and enhanced levels of service, particularly in light of the transformational transit-related initiatives we have on Broward’s horizon."