Management Team

In her current role, Jill provides strategic vision and leadership to the organization while also managing Lextran’s legislative efforts and media relations. She currently serves on the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Small Operations committee, and previously served as Chair of the Mayor’s Commission for People with Disabilities. Jill has been recognized by Mass Transit magazine as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” transit professionals and a graduate of the Leadership Lexington program.  

Jill previously served as the Assistant General Manager for four years. Jill has also served as Lextran’s Director of Community Affairs for six years where she oversaw marketing and communications, community relations, and customer service for the organization. 

Byron Robinson may be new to Lextran, but he’s no stranger to the Public Transit industry! Byron serves the Lexington community as Lextran’s Assistant General Manager; he started this position in late April 2021. In this role, Byron holds a multitude of responsibilities including ensuring contractual obligations are met, continuing to cultivate a culture of safety, and making sure the service provided meets or exceeds the expectations of the community. Byron began his career in public transit as a Paratransit Driver in Dayton, Ohio. He was also involved in Transportation Management while serving in the United States Air Force. Due to his family background and his own time in the military, he is accustomed to traveling often and held other transit related positions including Board and Dispatch Coordinator, Street Supervisor, Board and Dispatch Supervisor, Assistant General Manager, and Director of Operations at other transit services around the country. In addition to traversing around the city for work, Byron explores Lexington in his free time to become familiar with his new home.

Jim Barrett joined Lextran as the Director of Maintenance in October 2016 bringing with him more than 30 years of transit experience. Before joining Lextran, Jim started his career in transit as a B-Mechanic at the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) in Louisville, Kentucky. He held multiple positions during his time at TARC and later retired as their Director of Maintenance. In his current role, Jim manages a team who oversees the day-to-day preventative and contingent maintenance of Lextran’s fleet and facilities. During Jim’s tenure, Lextran completed the construction of a Compressed Natural Gas fueling station and accepted the delivery of over 17 new vehicles.

Fred Combs joined Lextran in 2016 as the Planning and Technology Manager. In 2018, he absorbed the community relations department into his responsibilities and became the Director of Planning, Technology, & Community Relations. Fred is also the Chair of the Transportation Technical Coordination Committee (a collaboration of transportation professionals that provide technical guidance and recommendations to the Transportation Policy Committee), serves as the organization’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Liaison Officer, and is a member of the Pension Committee. In his director role, he manages a team who directly work with community and business partners on a variety of projects, oversees changes in technology used at Lextran, and works on any planning needed to continue improving service to the community and moving the organization closer to its mission. In his personal life, Fred enjoys baseball and is a fan of the Atlanta Braves. He also loves to try all kinds of foods and is known to be the office’s go-to restaurant recommender.

Jason Dyal began his Lextran journey in 1998 as a Bus Operator. He continued to grow within the organization and became an Operator Trainer, Street Supervisor, and Dispatch Supervisor prior to leaving in 2011. During his time away from Lextran, Jason continued to hone his skills as a mechanic and became a certified Kentucky school bus driver. He returned to Lextran in 2016 and became the first Training Manager – he hasn’t looked back since. Jason is now the Director of Operations and has been in this position since 2019. In his current role, he focuses on the day-to-day operations of fixed-route service, manages transportation supervisors and bus operators, and ensures compliance across multiple regulatory bodies. Jason says his main priority is making the best and most logical decisions for his employees and to continue improving morale. When Jason takes off his director hat, he considers himself to be a good old fashioned country boy who loves to have fun and be himself.

Nikki Falconbury joined Lextran in 2006 as a Staff Accountant. She became the Director of Finance in 2012 and later, after some organizational changes, absorbed the Human Resources department in 2020, officially becoming the Director of Finance & Human Resources. In her role she oversees a team who help manage the day-to-day aspects of the organization’s finances and human resources; she is also responsible for the development of an organizational operating budget of $27 million per year, budget analysis, grant management, payroll, multi-year financial plan, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. She also serves as a member of the Finance Committee and Pension Committee, and is Lextran’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. She also played a critical role in the creation of the official Lextran headquarters by ensuring all paperwork and finances were organized and accurate as the team had to learn new systems and operations. Nikki believes while it’s important to work hard at your job, it’s just as important to have fun – a philosophy she practices daily.

John Givens has served the Lexington community with Lextran for nearly 40 years. He began his career as a Bus Operator, then Operator Trainer, Training Coordinator then became the Director of Risk Management. In this role, John manages the day-to-day safety of the operation. He ensures policies and procedures are followed by all the staff, coordinates with other departments and delegates team members to guarantee safety remains at the forefront of the organization, handles any accidents or incidents – he oversees anything which falls under the safety, security, and training umbrella. He is also the Lead Transportation Coordinator for the local Division of Emergency Management and is a member of the American Public Transportation Association International Bus Roadeo Committee. In his spare time, John is an avid golfer, enjoys working on his yard and landscaping, and loves spending time with his family.