CEO Sarles to leave WMATA in January

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles yesterday announced plans to step down in January, according to the The Washington Post.

Sarles wants to spend more time with his family, the newspaper reported this morning.

"I'm about to hit 70," he said. "Time is getting precious to me. I really want to enjoy my family. I want to do some things that I really haven't had the time or opportunity to do."

His announcement came as a surprise to WMATA board members, said Mortimer Downey, who represents the federal government on the board.

Sarles, who joined the agency's leadership following a 2009 fatal crash on WMATA's Red Line, has focused much of his energy on improving the agency's safety record. In 2013, the National Safety Council named him one of the "CEOs Who Get It" in terms of safety. The organization annually recognizes business leaders who demonstrate "world-class safety" by creating a safety culture as a business imperative.