Nora Leerhsen steps in as acting president as Dorval Carter Jr. prepares to leave the CTA after nearly a decade.

Chicago: So, here’s the scoop. Nora Leerhsen, the chief of staff at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), is stepping up as the acting president. This change comes as Dorval Carter Jr. is getting ready to leave his position after almost ten years.
Leerhsen will officially take over on January 31, right when Carter resigns. She’ll be in charge until Mayor Brandon Johnson finds a new president, who will need the board’s approval.
Carter shared his future plans during a board meeting, saying he’s off to become the president and CEO of Saint Anthony Hospital. He’s got a long history with the hospital, even serving as board chair before.
He mentioned, “I’m not done with my career; I’m just taking a different path.” His dad was a doctor there for 40 years, so it’s a family connection too.
Interestingly, Carter’s resignation comes after a lot of pressure from critics, including nearly half of the City Council. They were pushing for him to step down for a while now.
He had to testify before the Council about some serious issues, like ghost buses and safety concerns, after sending others to answer questions for him.
Even Governor JB Pritzker and key lawmakers were looking for a leadership change, especially since the CTA needs new funding to avoid a crisis in 2026.
Mayor Johnson had promised to revamp the CTA but ended up defending Carter once he took office. Carter was good at securing big federal grants, and just last week, he landed $1.9 billion for the Red Line extension project.