Stepping in: Meet VRE’s New Acting CEO, Dallas Richards
As VRE said goodbye to CEO Rich Dalton this October, Dallas Richards steps in - as approved by PRTC and NVTC - VRE’s acting Chief Executive Officer. Richards will lead the agency until a permanent CEO is selected. For riders who know VRE closely, Richards is not a stranger. A Virginia native with a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Virginia Military Institute and an Executive MBA from Virginia Tech, he has spent nearly 30 years in the railroad industry, working on projects for CSXT, NS, Amtrak, and VRE itself.
Richards joined VRE in 2016 as Chief Engineer and now as Deputy CEO/Chief Engineer. In this role, he has led teams of project managers, consultants, and contractors to deliver several major projects, including the Lifecycle Overhaul and Upgrade (LOU) Facility, Quantico Station Improvements, Rolling Road Platform Extension, and Lorton Road Platform Extension. His work has had a lasting impact on the reliability and safety of VRE service. But Dallas’ contributions go beyond engineering and construction. He also helped make VRE more visible and engaging to riders byu initiating the Tour de VRE, our annual charity bike ride. A beloved event for many at VRE, Dallas has had a direct hand in raising over $18,000 for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. For riders who attend or follow these events, Dallas is someone they’ve already seen in action outside the office, his passion clearly shining through.
As acting CEO, Dallas’ role is to keep VRE running smoothly during the leadership transition. His deep knowledge of the agency, hands-on experience managing major projects, and commitment to rider-focused initiatives make him uniquely qualified to guide VRE over the next few months. For riders, this means the trains, stations, and service you rely on will continue without disruption. At the same time, Dallas brings a perspective shaped by both operations and outreach — ensuring that VRE stays on track with projects, events, and the overall mission to provide safe, reliable, and community-connected rail service.