Don Strickland

Don Strickland serves as the Executive Director for the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority in Florence, South Carolina. Mr. Strickland’s career in transit began in early 2008 when he left the retail management industry to join the PDRTA team. He held several positions at PDRTA on his way to being named the Executive Director in 2019. Don has called the Pee Dee region home as he grew up in Florence County, attending high school and college in Florence, SC. Don graduated from Francis Marion University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration where he also played baseball. Don serves on several Boards including Economic Development Progress Boards and is past President of the Transportation Association of South Carolina where he still serves today.

During the last 6 years at PDRTA, Don and his team have reintroduced public bus service in all 6 counties of the Pee Dee Region. 4 of the 6 counties are very rural and did not have service for nearly a decade. Growing the list of local stakeholders has made this growth possible which expanded the agency by more than 100% in just a few short years.

Don is passionate about public transportation and sharing it with his community. He believes public transportation is vital for the community and is his goal to share the importance and how it benefits the community. Don has seen first-hand how PDRTA bus service improves the quality of life for his riders by providing them with reliable and affordable transportation to and from medical appointments and employment opportunities. He knows this in turn benefits local stakeholders and businesses in the community by improving economic development.