Leslie S. Richards is the former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and former CEO and GM of SEPTA, the fifth-largest US transit system, which operates across the Delaware Valley.
Trained as a planner and designer, she is recognized for her ability to find common ground, as well as her commitment to engage local communities before implementing transportation projects that incorporate quality of life issues in all decisions. The first woman and first planner to lead PennDOT, Richards made diversity and inclusion a core component of her work, from changing cultures to implementing programs to supporting marginalized communities.
Richards has been a member of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and served as chair of the Pennsylvania Public Private Partnership Board, among other leadership roles.
Richards received a Master of Regional Planning from Penn in 1993. She was appointed to the faculty in 2020.
