Pittsburgh Transit CFO Donminika Brown Secures Waiver to Postpone Service Cuts

Donminika Brown, the 38-year-old chief financial officer of Pittsburgh Regional Transit, secured a waiver that allows the agency to use capital funds for operations. This financial maneuver postpones major service cuts and fare increases for two years while preserving active projects and critical safety priorities.

Brown’s path to the top of the transit agency began in a salon. She enrolled at CCAC to improve her business skills and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Her grandmother suggested accounting, and a professor connected her with the Katz Graduate School of Business, where she received a scholarship. A client from her salon days eventually led to her first position at a small accounting firm.

As the agency faced a funding crisis, Brown assembled a team to find a solution. She noted that every number in the budget represents a real person’s livelihood, health care, or a child’s education. Attending public board meetings allowed her to attach faces and names to those figures.

Brown credits the people who opened doors for her during her career and says she makes a point to do the same for others. A sign in her office reads, "We lift as we climb." She hopes to continue building a Pittsburgh that is connected, accessible, and full of opportunity.