Ex-Chattanooga CIO on Board for Same Role in Atlanta Transit

The former chief information officer at one of the nation’s major smart cities is headed home, roughly two months after stepping down from his post.

Tyson Morris, who had served as CIO in Chattanooga, Tenn., since February 2022 and helped usher in its digital city hall, is the new CIO for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in Atlanta, his hometown.

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

The incoming tech leader will guide MARTA’s Technology Department as it implements upgrades to business applications, infrastructure, and completes digital transformation projects that support operations, an agency official said. His time in Chattanooga, much of it centered on improving residents’ digital services experience, ended the week of March 18 and it had not been clear where Morris would land. He has, however, spent much of his career in Atlanta.

“He is recognized for strategically implementing cybersecurity measures and technology-related sustainability projects, as well as managing significant transportation-related, grant-funded projects to transform Chattanooga into a model ‘intelligent city,’” Stephany Fisher, MARTA senior director of communications, said in an email Tuesday.

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

Before joining Chattanooga, Morris spent eight years in technology at Coca-Cola, where he spearheaded digital marketing, data science, enterprise architecture and global advertising initiatives, enhancing the company's digital and e-commerce platforms, Fisher said.

Prior to joining the beverage company, the CIO spent more than four years at Accenture, with time as global technical innovation lead and operations lead.