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The Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) board recently appointed Sherwood Wakeman interim general manager, effective April 23, and Mark Smith, independent police auditor.

Wakeman, who retired in July 2007 as BART’s general counsel, will succeed Dorothy Dugger, who will resign as GM on April 22.

Wakeman’s history with BART dates back to 1973, when he joined the agency as an attorney shortly after train service began. He became general counsel in May 1987, and served as interim GM twice during his 31-year tenure with the agency.

Smith will become the agency’s first auditor to provide independent oversight of the BART Police Department. He will be responsible for overseeing police policies, citizen allegations of on-duty police misconduct, discipline recommendations and coordination of the agency’s new Citizen Review Board.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which assumed management of the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Music City Star and regional bus services in 2008, recently announced several key personnel changes, including the appointment of a new general manager for RTA.

Lora Baulsir, who most recently served as MTA’s director of customer care and RTA’s chief administrative officer, has been named RTA’s GM. In her new role, she will work directly with RTA contractors and the chief executive officer, while continuing to work closely with RTA’s board, agency officials said in a prepared statement.

Other appointments include:

• Bob Baulsir, who previously served as chief operating officer, is now GM of administration for MTA and RTA.

• Dawn Distler, most recently the operations manager, has been promoted to GM of operations and maintenance for MTA and RTA.

• Eric Beyer, who serves as EasyRide manager, will take on additional duties as Metro Council liaison.