The Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) is working in collaboration with Propel Change Global to provide the CASTA LEAD Academy. This premier leadership program received the 2022 SWTA Chair Award. It provides Fellows with world-class leadership skills and the professional foundation necessary to lead the transit industry into the future.

This five month program will include three (3) in-person sessions and six (6) 2-hour Zoom sessions that will include both a leadership topic and transit industry topic with shared experiences from established leaders from the Colorado transit industry. The program will provide Fellows with a leadership assessment and personalized coaching sessions. Additionally, supervisors of the Fellows will receive feedback at various points during the program.

Leaning on industry titans, such as current Directors and CEOs, the program objective is to provide Fellows with real-world skills to ensure their professional success while providing the industry as a whole with talented leaders for the future.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Employees  do not need to be a member of CASTA to participate. The program is designed for all professionals who desire to deepen their understanding of the skills and experience needed to build and enhance their professional leadership skills.

Tuition

$3,500 per Fellow (in-state)
$5,000 per Fellow (out-of-state)

Tuition covers fees for individual coaching, training and all materials, registration costs to attend the CASTA Spring Conference and Fall Conference & EXPO, including food and beverage for 2 receptions and in-person training during the conferences, and other program administration costs. All travel, some meals*, lodging and incidental expenses will be the responsibility of the participant or the participant’s employer.

RTAP Scholarship funding is available to cover some of the costs for eligible participants. The scholarship application can be found here.

APPLICATION

2025 Application Timeline:

Jan. 21st – Fellow Application Opens
Jan. 21st – Interest Meeting
March 7th – Application Closes
March 21st – Acceptance Notification Sent

How to Apply:

Applicants will be asked to fill out an application that will include:

  • Letter of Interest
  • Current Resume
  • Supervisor Endorsement [Download Form here, then select File -> Download -> Microsoft Word (.docx )]

All application materials for each applicant must be submitted through the online application form to participate as a Fellow in the 2025 LEAD Academy.

If you are selected, please ensure you can fulfill the program’s requirements and that you have the full support of your Direct Supervisor.

*We strongly encourage all applicants to have all the necessary documents (Letter of Interest, Resume, and Supervisor Endorsement Form) ready to upload before starting the application process. You are not able to save your work in the application and come back to it at a later time.

Class of 2024

See the pictures and bios for the CASTA LEAD Academy Class of 2024.

LEAD Academy FAQs
     Q: Where are the in-person sessions held?
A: The first in-person session will held at the Spring Conference in Fort Collins. The final session and graduation will be held at the Fall Conference in Telluride.
     Q:What happens if we miss a Zoom meeting or cannot attend at the time designated?
A: Fellows are expected to commit to attending all sessions to get the full benefit of the program. However, we understand that work and life may get in the way. If a Fellow must miss a session, they should let Autumn and Donna know as soon as possible.
     Q: What times are the Zoom sessions?
A: Zoom session times will be scheduled as group, ensuring that all Fellows are able to attend.
     Q: How long are the Zoom sessions?
A: Each Zoom session will last two (2) hours.