Transit-rail CEOs: New faces, new places
Not that they’re all new new faces. John Catoe Jr. was deputy CEO at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority before taking over as general manager at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Trinity Railway Express’ Bill Farquhar previously oversaw Nashville’s Music City Star commuter-rail line. Richard Sarles was assistant executive director for capital programs and planning at NJ Transit before taking over the top post from George Warrington. Bay Area Rapid Transit’s Dorothy Dugger spent 13 years as deputy GM before she was promoted to GM in August. MARTA’s new GM Beverly Scott previously held the same title at the Sacramento Regional Transit District. And Miami-Dade Transit’s new director Harpal Kapoor began serving the agency in 1985, left in 1999 to work for WMATA, then rejoined MDT in 2006 as deputy director of operations.
Several other new chiefs are making return appearances at their respective agencies, as well. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Anthony Shorris is serving his second stint as executive director, after having left the agency in 1995. MTA New York City Transit President Howard Roberts Jr. first served the agency between 1981 and 1986, as finance and administration VP, and surface transit VP and COO, before serving stints as SEPTA’s deputy GM and COO, and later as a transportation consultant. MTA Long Island Rail Road President Helena Williams also was no stranger to MTA, having first joined the agency in 1985 as labor counsel before going on to serve as deputy Nassau County director and senior counsel for Cablevision.
In other 2007 appointment news: Paul Wiedefeld was named administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration after serving as SVP of Parsons Brinckerhoff; Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s former chief of staff Ron Huberman was appointed president of the Chicago Transit Authority; and Diane Thorne, who most recently helmed Nashville’s Transportation Management Association Group Inc., took over as executive director of Nashville RTA.
As the new year unfolds, it’ll be interesting to see how these new transit leaders adjust in their new roles. What will their management skills bring to their new agency? How will their past experiences carry over? And how will their leadership help shape the industry?
We’re already seeing signs of change at a couple of the agencies. WMATA’s Catoe has hired a handful of new managers, most of whom transferred to D.C. from LA MTA. And earlier this week, NYCT’s Roberts named subway line general managers in the “initial move of what is expected to be a sweeping reorganization of MTA New York City Transit’s subway operations,” according to a press release. In most cases, it’s too early to say what, if anything, will be different. But as these new execs get settled in, 2008 could be yet another year of change.
Posted by: 
Angela Cotey | Date posted: 12/12/2007
Comments
Posted by Adron on 12/13/2007 12:13:18 PM
It really makes me wonder. Why all the shifting?
Posted by Richard on 12/18/2007 10:30:10 AM
I think what we are starting to see is the effects of Baby Boomers retiring. I've heard accounts of as much as 40% of all managers at NJ TRANSIT will or have reached their magic numbers, making them eligible to retire this year. It would be an interesting poll to take for all those that get this publication as to whether they are eligible to retire and what that percentage is against the current workforce.
Posted by James Swidergal on 12/28/2007 10:02:30 AM
New faces, new places, ohhhh! But the same ol' political hacks being hired. Take Chicago's Huberman: Typical Chicago hack, great paying job to say what Daley wants him to say. Downside: no imagination, no rail experience, not even an attempted new program on Huberman's part. Perhaps it might be worth retaining some of the soon-to-be-retiring old heads, and break these kids in a little at a time.
Posted by Saul on 1/2/2008 4:54:03 PM
When in doubt, reorganize. One of the oldest adages in business. Agree with the comment about political appointees; they're just executing someone else's agenda.
