Professional Role and Responsibilities
_Coree Cuff_ currently serves as the Vice President of Project Development and Implementation Planning (PDIP) at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In this executive role, she is principally responsible for the early works planning and overall development of major capital projects within Metro’s infrastructure portfolio. Her scope of duties includes coordinating project initiation phases, overseeing implementation strategies, and ensuring alignment with WMATA’s strategic capital investment goals.
Her leadership is integral to the planning, development, and execution of WMATA’s multimillion-dollar capital projects, which are foundational to the agency’s service expansion, safety enhancements, and modernization efforts.
Background and Professional Expertise
Coree Cuff is a seasoned transit executive with broad expertise encompassing field operations, complex negotiations, project management, and strategic growth initiatives in public transportation systems. Her career reflects a significant tenure at WMATA, during which she has progressed through various leadership roles, including positions in finance and project development.
Previously, she held key financial management roles such as Finance Manager and Director of Operating Budget and Vice President of Finance within WMATA’s Office of Management, demonstrating a strong command of both budgetary control and capital project financing essential for successful public transit operations.
Notable Achievements and Leadership Profile
Although Coree Cuff transitioned to leadership as CEO/General Manager of Broward County Transit in Florida beginning early 2023, her foundational influence at WMATA includes spearheading pivotal capital projects and early-stage planning that laid the groundwork for subsequent transit development phases. Her tenure has been characterized by a commitment to integrating innovative project planning with operational realities to support sustainable transit solutions.
Her educational credentials include a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware, where she was the first African American to graduate on time with this degree. She is recognized for breaking barriers, including her historic role as the first woman Chief Engineer at CSX Railroad prior to her tenure at WMATA.
Relevance to WMATA’s Current and Future Projects
At WMATA, Coree’s role within PDIP places her at the nexus of transformative infrastructure initiatives, ensuring early project works are meticulously planned to align with long-term capital expansion and modernization objectives. This involves comprehensive oversight of project feasibility, design coordination, stakeholder engagement, and integration with broader regional transportation strategies.
Her expertise in early works planning and detailed project implementation makes her a critical figure in addressing challenges related to capital program delivery, regulatory compliance, and contractor oversight. Her background in finance enhances her capacity to manage the complexities of funding allocations and budgetary oversight in large-scale transit projects.
Summary
_Coree Cuff_ at WMATA embodies a strategic and operational lead in capital project development characterized by:
- Vice President of Project Development and Implementation Planning with direct oversight of early capital project phases.
- In-depth experience in public transit finance, budgeting, and project management.
- A trailblazing engineering and executive background, holding significant precedent-setting roles in transportation engineering and management.
- Expertise critical to aligning WMATA’s capital projects with regional transit growth and operational requirements, underpinning Metro’s infrastructure expansion and modernization efforts.
This profile highlights Coree Cuff as a pivotal decision-maker and influencer in WMATA’s capital project pipeline, essential for understanding leadership priorities and project execution contexts within WMATA’s organizational framework.
