The Virginian-Pilot
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HAMPTON
With light rail up and running and with management reforms under way, leading Hampton Roads Transit at a salary of $235,000 has proven to be a popular job.
HRT has received 71 applications from across the country for president and CEO, to replace Philip Shucet, whose contract expires Jan. 31. Shucet was hired as a consultant in February 2010 to finish construction and open light rail, and restore confidence in an agency that was criticized for mismanagement.
HRT's vice chairman, Chesapeake City Councilman Rick West, heads the search committee. He said the committee hopes to interview 10 to 20 candidates in early December and make a hiring recommendation to the board at its Dec. 8 meeting.
"If we're not able to find the right person, we'll go with an acting CEO until we do," West said.
West said the applicants have varied backgrounds. Some have transit experience and some don't. Some are active or retired military. Some come from other public service jobs and others from private industry.
"We really need to look at the person's track record and do some due diligence to check out past performance," he said.
The HRT board on Thursday continued to move forward with reform by hiring its first internal auditor. The position was recommended by Shucet and the state inspector general after conducting an investigation into the agency's management practices. J. David Taylor, senior internal auditor at Sentara Healthcare, was hired at a salary of $85,000.
In other business, HRT's boardroom was packed with more than a dozen Handi-Ride customers, most in wheelchairs, who were worried that changes in the service would hurt their ability to get to jobs, school and appointments.
To control spiraling costs, about 40 percent of Handi-Ride trips will be made in taxicabs, starting in December, instead of small lift-equipped buses. The change is estimated to save HRT about $500,000 a year.
Donald Fennell, who works at Insight Enterprises Peninsula Center for Independent Living, spoke on behalf of the group: "We think we deserve and demand respect."
He said customers have concerns about the cab company's ability to handle the ridership volume and provide sensitive customer service to disabled customers. He said riders also are upset that the maximum trip time has been extended to 90 minutes from 60 minutes.
"We're the population with the lowest income - we can least afford these changes," Fennell said. "It will be more difficult for us to function and live independently in the community."
Shucet urged the group to judge the changes after they go into effect.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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Grab A Broom
I agree that this is the perfect time to clean house at HRT, Hopefully, the new CEO will clean out all of HRT's ineffective, and bloated upper-management. To help regain the public's trust in the agency, as well as help strengthen the case for light rail in Va. Beach, the new CEO should replace most of the current Chiefs and Directors with proven industry professionals, and show taxpayers, that the mistakes of Norfolk's cost overruns will not be repeated. This commitment to professionalism should be reinforced by the TDCHR Board, which, up until now, has been sorely lacking.
HRT
Maybe a new person in charge will solve many problems
They really need to start with HRT Driver Education. I am tired of these people having the mentality of I AM BIGGER, THEREFORE I WIN. The drivers of these buses need to learn some common courtesy and not drive like they are the only vehicles on the road. Case in point, RT168 bridge was malfunctioning, HRT driver decides to bully his was accross 2 lanes of traffic and onto the ramp to the 168 bypass, he drives up the left hand side of the ramp, past all the vehicles that have waiting their turn to merge into traffic. I should have let him take the side of my car off, wonder if HRT has enough cash to pay that claim out. They wouldnt be able to afford paying anyone else.
Ok, so I had a few typos. I
Ok, so I had a few typos. I will do it for $80,000.00 a year then.
WHERE DO I APPLY
I will do the job for $90,000.00 a year. I have mass tranist experience. I have ridden the NY subway, I have ridden METRO in DC, I have taken MARTA in Atlanta, The T in oston, The L in Chicago and HRT in BHampton Roads. I beleieve in the employee doing their job, showing up on time and within budget. I believe that HRT needs a person who will guide the agency in being tuff, and being honest. I believe Hampton Roads needs mass transit that goees where people live and goes where people want to go to. I believe in spending within your means and saying NO when it needs to be said. I believe that you work for what you want. Again I will do it for oh let's say $85,000.00. Where do I apply and do I really have a cahnce? I shall pray now.
A prime candidate lives nearby.
Bernie Madoff resides at the Federal Correctional Institution Butner, near Butner, North Carolina, about 45 miles northwest of Raleigh, NC.
He has a great resumé for the job and would probably do it for far less than $235,000. Just a few bucks for canteen money.
He'll have HRT running in the black in no time (for a while, anyway). Just like before.
Trust me.
Plenty of applicants? Offer a lower salary & benefits
The all-appointed TDCHR that directs HRT has an opportunity to cut costs in this troubled job market. Clearly they have an abundance of job applicants.
Now is the best time for HRT to lower the salaries of their top management. In this job market there are plenty of well qualified applicants.
The existing management team at HRT has a proven track record of failing to control costs and report the truth to the TDCHR & public. What a golden opportunity for the TDCHR to clean house at HRT and replace the failed leadership team with new, better qualified leadership.
The TDCHR justified the HUGE salary for HRT's CEO by because they feel the top job should earn more than the other HRT management. Why not cut the cost of the other management?
Try Being Honest For Once
Senior management has taken compensation cuts under Phillip Shucet, as perks were eliminated.
Only two department chiefs remain, and both arrived in Townes' twilight.
How do you know the new applicants are "better qualified leadership"? You don't, having no idea who the applicants are. Given that many have no transit expierience (from the story), you couldn't put them in other upper echelon positions at HRT while both meeting Federal requirements and keeping service running.
Reid Greenmun is Chairman of the extremist Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA), and is on record wanting to abolish HRT in flagrant violation of Federal law. Take his rant for what it is: a hoax to decimate HRT management in an attempt to destroy the agency.
Henry works for HRT
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... Spoken like a employee of HRT. Oh, that's right, Henry IS a HRT employee!
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Attack The Messenger
Notice Mr. Greenmun can't refute anything I said factually.
By Reid's logic, we should hire unemployed carpenters to do heart surgery, as they'll do it cheaper than surgeons.