Former Chattanooga CIO on board for same role at Atlanta Transit

The former chief information officer of one of the nation’s leading smart cities is returning home, about two months after leaving his post.

City of Chattanooga

Tyson Morris, who has been CIO in Chattanooga, Tennessee, since February 2022 and helped inaugurate its digital city hall, is the new CIO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in Atlanta, his hometown.

Morris’ first day at MARTA was Tuesday. Considered the ninth largest mass transit system in the country, it operates some 48 miles of dedicated rail lines serving 38 stations, a downtown streetcar, and a fleet of buses serving 112 routes throughout metro Atlanta.

The new technology leader will guide MARTA’s technology department in implementing business application and infrastructure upgrades and completing digital transformation projects that support operations, an agency official said. His time in Chattanooga, largely focused on improving residents’ digital service experience, ended the week of March 18 and it was unclear where Morris would land. However, he spent a large part of his career in Atlanta.

“He is recognized for strategically implementing cybersecurity measures and technology-related sustainability projects, as well as managing major grant-funded transportation-related projects aimed at transforming Chattanooga into a “smart city.” “model,” Stephany Fisher, MARTA’s senior director of communications, said in an email Tuesday.

The task of creating Chattanooga’s digital city hall included rolling out a new website — but, Morris said at the time, the transformation was also intended to drive a cultural shift toward an increased focus on data and continuous evolution. The city has been a pioneer in digital inclusion and is known for its work in providing municipal broadband.

Prior to joining Chattanooga, Morris spent eight years in technology at Coca-Cola, where he led digital marketing, data science, enterprise architecture and global advertising initiatives, improving digital platforms and of the company’s e-commerce business, Fisher said.

Prior to joining the beverage company, the CIO spent more than four years at Accenture, including as global head of technical innovation and head of operations.