Joanna M. Pinkerton, P.E. is the President/CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the regional mobility organization providing services to Columbus and Central Ohio. With a service area covering 562 square miles across five counties serving 1.4 million residents, COTA employs more than 1,100 team members and provided more than 19 million passenger trips in 2019.

Since joining COTA in April 2018, Pinkerton has focused on organizational transformation— delivering innovative mobility solutions in response to a rapidly growing community, changing customer preferences and addressing equity issues with the mobility needs of many residents.

Prior to joining COTA, Pinkerton served as Chief Operations Officer at the Transportation Research Center Inc., the nation’s largest independent automotive proving ground and vehicle development and testing center. Her previous experience also includes leadership roles with The Ohio State University, as the Senior Associate Director of The Center for Automotive Research as well as the Co-Director of the Honda-Ohio State Partnership.

Pinkerton received her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Ohio Northern University.