Former Executive Director of Palm Tran and FPTA Chair, Clinton B. Forbes, Sr. was posthumously awarded FPTA’s 2024 Hall of Fame Inductee.
Palm Tran suffered a tremendous loss with the departure of Clinton B. Forbes, Sr. at age 55 on November 2, 2023. Forbes served as Executive Director since November 2015 and brought a level of dedication, vision and leadership that elevated our agency to new heights.
Prior to Palm Tran, Forbes graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Thomas University, Miami, FL in Political Science and Public Administration before spending 25 years at the senior management and leadership levels of various transit agencies. He began his career at the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and three transit properties; Miami-Dade Transit (MDT), the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). At COTA, Forbes was Vice-President of Operations overseeing more than 900 employees. In November 2015, Forbes rejoined the South Florida community when he accepted the role of Palm Tran Executive Director.
During Forbes’ tenure as executive director, Palm Tran witnessed substantial advancements in service quality, efficiency and outreach. One of Forbes biggest impacts was the shifting the culture and raising the bar for professionalism in Palm Tran, which became a model for transit agencies across the country.
It was Forbes who introduced Palm Tran’s new, award-winning Mission Statement: “To provide access to opportunity for everyone; safely, efficiently and courteously.” Following this, he established Palm Tran’s vision: “To be the premier transportation choice in Palm Beach County,” and six core values: Communication, Respect, Recognition, Integrity and Communication. The mission, vision and core values are displayed throughout the organization on all Palm Tran collateral material and digital displays.
During his first few years at the helm, Forbes restructured the organization, allowing Palm Tran’s team to quickly react to meeting the mobility needs of our community. He also introduced new bus operator uniforms and dress code standards, along with bus operator graduation ceremonies to boost morale and foster a sense of professionalism amongst Palm Tran staff.
Notably, Forbes led Palm Tran and chaired the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA) from 2020 to 2023, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the most challenging and difficult time for the transit industry in decades. The FPTA is a non-profit association that represents every major public transit agency in the state of Florida, including Palm Tran.
We are all deeply saddened by his passing and will continue to honor and carry out his legacy. His memory will serve as an inspiration to all who knew him. He was laid to rest on November 13, 2023 at Christ Fellowship Church in Royal Palm Beach, FL. The ceremony was attended by hundreds of family members, friends, Palm Tran employees, government officials and transit industry colleagues.