Atlanta native Solomon Caviness said that it was always his priority in life to serve his community in a leadership role. He was in the midst of his 22-year career improving transportation infrastructure in New Jersey’s Department of Transportation (NJDOT), when his hometown called him back.
In January 2023, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced Solomon’s appointment as Commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation (Atlanta DOT), a newly created centralized hub for the city’s transportation initiatives. Solomon answered the call to serve as the Commissioner for the Atlanta DOT. Together with his wife and two small daughters, he moved back to his hometown and began his new role.
“It is an honor to take this opportunity to work directly with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to build and grow the organization as part of Atlanta’s future,” stated Solomon.
According to Solomon, the opportunity to serve in this capacity, as well as in his previous roles in New Jersey, would never have been possible without his participation in the Operations Academy Senior Management Program in 2009. In fact, he refers to it as “the catalyst for his career’s upward trajectory.”
His interest in public transportation infrastructure began when Atlanta hosted the Olympics in 1994. After observing how such an expansive, international event had impacted his city, Solomon was inspired and majored in civil engineering for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Upon graduation, he was recruited to NJDOT, the largest toll and turnpike authority in the country. During his tenure at NJDOT, Solomon served as Traffic Operations Manager and was provided the opportunity to attend the Operations Academy program. For nine years, he served as a Special Projects Manager for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) before moving to Middlesex County, NJ to serve as the head of the Transportation Department.
“What you’re learning about during the Operations Academy Program is collaboration and transportation management systems and operations (TSMO), so be careful what you wish for after completing the Academy. You might find yourself running a DOT,” Solomon said.
He remembered his experience as pivotal and advised current Operations Academy participants to savor their time while they’re attending the program. He did not realize how his interaction with other members of his cohort would help his network evolve–someone from his group turned out to be an administrator for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Georgia, and now that he’s back in Atlanta, the two have reconnected and worked in successful collaboration.
“Be encouraged,” he said. “When you participate in something like the Operations Academy and work at your agency implementing TSMO, that is the foundation for what transportation is here to accomplish. We are making change relative to equity, and we’re opening the built environment and making it available to improve quality of life. I would say my foundation in operations and my attendance at the Academy have given me the opportunity to grow and deliver. Everyone needs our skill set.”
He now finds himself in the position where he can fulfill his life’s goal to contribute to his community and state. “It all started with my exposure at the operations Academy,” he said. “It’s been a very important part of my life.”
