PRT CFO Brown Uses Capital Waiver To Delay Transit Cuts

Donminika Brown, chief financial officer of Pittsburgh Regional Transit, has temporarily halted the agency's planned service reductions. Brown, 38, was named to Pittsburgh Magazine's 2026 40 Under 40 list for her role in managing the transit authority's fiscal challenges.

The transit agency faced imminent fare hikes and route cuts due to a funding gap. Brown assembled a team to negotiate a waiver that allows capital funds to cover operational costs. This move postpones the proposed cuts for two years. The strategy also protects active infrastructure projects and critical safety priorities.

Brown's path to the executive suite did not follow a traditional academic track. She began her education at CCAC while working in a salon. A professor later encouraged her to pursue a scholarship to the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. A client from her salon days connected her with a small accounting firm, launching her corporate career.

She views the financial data through a human lens. "Every number represents a life," Brown said. "Hearing riders at public board meetings puts faces, names and situations to numbers."

Brown attributes her career progression to mentors who provided opportunities. She aims to replicate that support for others. A sign in her office reads, "We lift as we climb."