Gabriel Beltran Fights for Fairness in Transit

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Gabriel Beltran has been advocating for minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector since 1999. The assistant vice president of vendor management at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) recently received a nomination for the Executive of the Year Pillar Award from the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association. The nomination recognizes Beltran as someone who “actively participate in advocacy efforts, resource sharing, and the development of training programs.” He also was awarded the coveted “E Award” from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Minority Supplier Diversity Council Inc. for “Executive Champion of the Year” in 2024.

DART is the only public transit agency in the state of Texas with a program crafted entirely for minority- and women-owned businesses. Beltran acknowledges that the work has grown more complex given the current political environment, but he’s undeterred in his efforts.

“I might be a bit of a strange bird, but I tend to operate a little sharper when there’s some conflict involved,” Beltran says. “We’ve done so much incredible work here over the years, and we have so much to show for what we’ve done. We’re in a different time now, where we’re going to have to fight for what we believe in, but it just makes me work harder. I’m definitely up for the challenge.”

Beltran was born and raised in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas. He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and expected to pursue a career in law enforcement. Instead, Beltran ultimately found a way to help people—the reason he wanted to pursue law enforcement in the first place—by building generational wealth for those small businesses most likely to be overlooked in transit procurements.

“Minority- and women-owned businesses have historically missed out on the procurement processes within transportation,” Beltran explains. “I’ve gotten to see how DART has helped create lasting growth for people and their families. I’ve developed relationships with these owners and organizations. I’ve gotten to help people like I always wanted to, just through a different lens.”

The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, as of 2020, was well over 50 percent ethnically diverse. Under Beltran’s leadership, DART has made significant strides toward equitable allocation of procurement dollars. Beltran confirms that between 30 percent and 40 percent of DART’s total expenditures wind up, either directly or through subcontracting, benefiting minority- and women owned businesses. It’s not yet one-to-one parity, but it’s an unrivaled accomplishment in public transit.

It’s not a fad. Beltran and his team have been providing these outcomes for fifteen years.

“Just in the past five years, those totals to M/WBE’s equate to nearly $1 billion,” Beltran says. “Our contractors are aware of what we expect and that we’re very serious about what we say. We’ve backed it up historically, there is precedent, and this agency has backed me every step of the way.”

Beltran’s team has been so successful that some have called for the program to end, but their work is still needed. “It’s odd to have to work so hard on our disparity studies to show the continuing disparity in awards to minorities and women,” Beltran says. “But I have a great team, and we continue to demonstrate that if these programs don’t exist, things tend to reverse quickly in the wrong direction.”

Many other state agencies are actively trying to minimize the “minority and women” portion of their advocacy work for fear of drawing the attention of diversity, equity, and inclusion opponents. Beltran understands why agencies are keeping a low profile, but it’s not his style.

“At every level, the MWBE business community has our backing,” Beltran says. “We stand behind you. We recognize the struggle still exists, and we will continue to advocate for your inclusion in the conversation.”

Outside his day job, Beltran is the current President of the North Texas chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), which advocates for diverse voices in transit. Beltran is also an active committee member for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

“I might be a bit of a strange bird, but I tend to operate a little sharper when there’s some conflict involved … We’re in a different time now, where we’re going to have to fight for what we believe in, but it just makes me work harder.”

Gabriel Beltran

Beltran says he’s proud to be the kind of public official that people can get on the phone. He goes to great lengths to cultivate interpersonal relationships with both business owners and community stakeholders to ensure that they feel represented.

“You have to be honest and transparent,” Beltran says. “I let people know that I’m going to fight for them. That may sound simple, but it’s important for me to let people know that I have their best interests at heart.”

At home, Beltran is a proud father of three and a “tennis dad” who spends most of his free time shuttling his kids to practices and matches. The AVP says his wife, the family’s rock, is the reason he has been so successful in his own career.

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