Carmen E. Turner

Carmen E. Turner (1931 – April 9, 1992) was an American administrator who served as Under Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro).

Turner was the first African-American woman to lead a major public transit agency.

Biography Turner was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, the daughter of Carmen Pawley and James Pawley. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and in 1968 graduated from Howard University, later earning a master's degree in public administration and political science from American University (1972). As general manager, Turner won wide praise for running what was then the nation's second-largest rail and fourth-largest bus transit system. She was responsible for 7000 employees and the operation of some 2000 buses and rail cars with a combined ridership of 700,000 a day. Annual ridership grew to 70 million passengers.

Turner left Metro in 1990 to become Under Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, with responsibilities similar to a chief operating officer.

She died of breast cancer in 1992.