Who We Are
KL2 Connects is a boutique executive search firm that caters exclusively to the American public transit industry on a retained basis. We pride ourselves on the positive and lasting relationships we have built over almost 20 years with our client agencies and candidates. Our goal is to find the right fit for each organization that contributes to our industry and the talent within it.
All KL2 principals are veterans of the transit industry, having served in public transit organization CEO or C-suite positions for many years. We know the unique needs of the transit industry - from the regulatory and funding environment to the operational issues and public engagement considerations that must be part of any successful transit executive's portfolio. We remember that the candidates are our peers, and we treat them with the respect they deserve.
Collectively, we have over 250 years of transit management experience. Let KL2 Connects put that experience to work for you today! Call us for a free consultation.
What We Do
Working with public transit agencies, we place qualified and well-suited-for-the-organization executives in positions from Chief Executive Officer and other C-suite positions to Vice Presidents, Directors, and Senior Managers. We conduct national searches, advertising in numerous industry publications for maximum exposure; provide thoroughly researched information; maintain the appropriate confidentiality and discretion; and produce diverse, competitive, and timely applicant pools for your consideration. We even assist with customized vetting depending on the desired skill set as well as contract negotiation and on-boarding. For candidates, we provide honest feedback and career coaching, recognizing that each individual can be a potential asset for right job in the right place at the right time. We know the industry; we know the candidates; and we know what to look for. We don't stop until we have found the right fit in which both our client and the candidate are pleased with the outcome.
KL2 Recruitment by the Numbers
1 industry - transit is all we do
2 transit execs on every search
3 APTA Hall of Fame honorees
on our Advisory Board
4 regional offices
70 client agencies
250 years experience
275 searches completed
40% of our CEO placements
are women and people of color
Our Team
Christian T. Kent
Dr. Robert Babbitt
Kristen Joyner
Jeff Popovich
Managing Principal
Christian T. Kent has nearly 40 years of transit industry experience, 12 as a senior executive at WMATA; 8 years as President & CEO of Transit Management Consulting. Articulate, charismatic, and diplomatic, Christian has a proven track record in working effectively with Boards and executives, delivering the right candidates while providing frank and honest advice and an ethical process that client agencies can rely on long after each search is completed. Committed to harnessing talent for the industry, Christian creates a safe space for candidates to discuss their career aspirations, and he fights for them when their skills and abilities are not immediately recognized. He vigorously guards the integrity of the search process to ensure that confidentiality is strictly maintained.
Christian has a strong presence in two key industry trade associations - APTA and COMTO. In APTA, Christian is now serving his fourth term on the Board of Directors; chairs APTA's Membership Committee; and was recently appointed to APTA's Business Member Board of Governors. He is a graduate of Leadership APTA (2003) and a 2012 recipient of APTA's Innovation Award. Christian also served for 7 years on the COMTO Board of Directors. He is also a graduate of Eno Transit Executive Program and co-author of the 2020 anthology, The Future of Public Transportation. Christian holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from the University of Virginia (where he started his career as a student bus operator) and is an adjunct professor for the National Transit Institute at Rutgers University where he teaches self-designed courses in Paratransit Management and Operations.
Principal
Kristen Joyner has served over 20 years in public transit, is Founder and President of KL Backpack, LLC, and co-author of All Aboard: Conducting Accessible Community Involvement for Public Transit. Her expertise includes serving as Executive Director of the South West Transit Association and administrative public transportation experience with Rock Region Metro in Little Rock, Arkansas. She leads with energy, expertise, and creativity in executive roles, as a team leader and as a subject matter expert. For 17 years, Ms. Joyner has developed and delivered training programs, workshops, and conferences for the transit industry, advancing workforce development, leadership, and communication. She has served on the APTA Board of Directors, as Board Chair of CTAA, and provided training and guidance for the U.S. Department of Transportation in their fight against Human Trafficking.
Principal
Nearly 50 years of transit industry experience; former transit system GM (Nashville MTA); team leader; national consultant; conference/ committee participant and speaker; former president TN Public Transportation Association; Urban Transit GM of the Year (TN, 2001); PhD (Administration), CPA, BA (Political Science); member of APTA (8 committees), SWTA, TTA, KPTA, FPTA, ATA, CalACT; executive, author, instructor, moderator, speaker, editor.
Principal
Ten years as APTA’s Chief Information Officer; member, APTA Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee; Chair, APTA LGBT Task Force; peer reviewer for public transit agencies of various sizes and complexity; coordinator of programs through APTA’s Transit Cooperative Research Program; graduate of APTA Executive Leadership Program; expert at applying IT and database management strategies to executive recruiting; 10 years as Project Manager and IT consultant for Ernst & Young, KPMG; led technology departments; involved with non-profits such as FirstBook.org; Bachelor’s (Park University), Master’s (Florida Institute of Technology).
Affiliations
