Brad Miller will step down as general manager of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) on June 28. The announcement of his replacement might not take much longer.

DART held a public meeting on Wednesday to announce the finalists for the position, for which more than 100 people applied. Those names were not available at press time.

Officials said they hope to announce the new general manager in early July.

Miller was DART’s first general manager when the system became a regional transit authority in 2006. He leaves as DART prepares to open the new $21 million DART Central Station hub to be built downtown and as it embarks on DART Forward 2035, a major long-term planning project.

The new general manager’s largest challenge will likely involve figuring out how to make DART sustainable financially, said DART Commission Chair and Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly. DART has identified a $5 million structural budget gap in fiscal year 2015.

Another major challenge will be to get up to speed with everything that is happening at DART, Connolly said, especially in the midst of DART Forward 2035. Interim General Manager Elizabeth Pressuti echoed Connolly in saying that Miller has laid the foundation to make the leadership transition smooth during the planning process.

What traits are officials looking for in the new manager?

“We want to make sure he’s a creative leader, a relationship builder – all things that Brad was,” Connolly said. “We just want to move forward.”