Dave Carol serves as Chief Operating Officer for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). He is responsible for managing the modal and subject-matter experts and expertise within the association, conducting peer reviews for member agencies on a wide variety of transit issues, and leading various ad-hoc task forces on such issues as transit’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing the challenges of bus and rail equipment manufacturers as they emerge from the pandemic. He serves as staff advisor to the APTA business members and for the Public Transportation CEOs Coordinating Council. In 2024, Dave began serving as APTA’s Interim General Counsel.

Carol has spent his entire career in transportation as a lawyer, government affairs manager, advocate and project director. Prior to joining APTA in 2018, Carol spent nine years with WSP, serving as its Market Leader for Passenger, Freight and High-Speed Rail. He led various major passenger and high-speed rail projects across the US, and most recently helped manage design and construction of new light-rail transit projects in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Carol also worked for the Charlotte Areas Transit System (CATS), leading commuter rail, streetcar and multimodal station programs.

Carol spent 19 years with Amtrak, where he served as Assistant General Counsel, Senior Director of Congressional & State Affairs, and Vice President High Speed Rail. Carol served on Amtrak’s Management Committee and led the planning and construction of the Northeast corridor Acela High-Speed Rail program, including electrification and acquisition of the Acela high-speed trains.

Carol received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College, and master’s and law degrees from the University of Virginia.