Houston Mayor Names Sanjay Ramabhadran as Chair of Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Board of Directors
- An engineer, and a prominent member of the Indian American community, he is the first Indian American to serve in that position.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has named Sanjay “Ram” Ramabhadran as the new chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (METRO) Board of Directors. An engineer, and a prominent member of the Indian American community in the area, Ramabhadran is the first Indian American to serve in that position. He has served on the METRO Board of Directors since May 2015. He will replace Carrin Patman, who is stepping down following her nomination by the Biden Administration to serve as ambassador to Iceland.
He is the founding principal at VERSA Infrastructure, a Houston-based consulting, design and construction company that focuses on transportation, aviation and flood protection as well as water and wastewater utilities. He also chaired and presided over the Texas Lyceum, a prestigious leadership association.
The current chair of the Capital & Strategic Planning Committee and a member of the Finance & Audit Committee, Ramabhadran has helped oversee the planning, design, construction, and launch of major projects, including METRONext, that enhance mobility throughout the region, according to a press release from the mayor. “As a prepared and proven leader, Sanjay is ready to steer Texas’ largest metropolitan transit authority,” Mayor Turner said. “His leadership will play a big role in getting the ambitious METRONext and other projects right.”
“It is an honor of a lifetime to serve the City of Houston and the entire region,” said Ramabhadran in the press release. “I truly appreciate the trust and confidence in me to build the future of METRO,” he said, adding that he is looking forward to working with his colleagues on the METRO Board, the CEO, and the 4,100 strong METRO family. “These men and women are frontline heroes in their own right. 24/7 and 365 days a year, they work to move Houstonians. Not just during a regular workweek or for a baseball game, but when it is most needed, during a flood, hurricane, or pandemic.”
He was honored as one of the 2012 Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Junior Chamber. He was previously selected as one of Five Outstanding Young Texans in 2011 by the Texas Jaycees and one of Five Outstanding Young Houstonians for the year 2010 by the Houston Jaycees. Selected as an ASIA 21 Young Leader, he represented the United States at the 2010 Global Asia 21 Leadership Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia. He has been honored by the American Jewish Committee – Houston with the Human Relations award.
A graduate of BITS-Pilani and Texas A&M University, he is a registered professional engineer. He and his wife live in Houston and their sons attend public schools. His interests include cycling, traveling and public policy.
(Top photo, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, right, with Sanjay “Ram” Ramabhadran.)