Memphis City Council will appoint a trustee to oversee the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). As a result, MATA has decided to not proceed with interviews for the two finalists considered for the permanent CEO role.
During Wednesday’s MATA board meeting, board chair Emily Greer, said they were made aware of the city’s plans this week. Greer said if they had known about this decision last week, they would have adjusted their interview process accordingly.
“We apologize to the candidates and the public for the abrupt changes in this process,” Greer said. “We look forward to learning about the council’s plan and what having a trustee at the helm means.”
The MATA Board released the following statement on the matter:
“Over the past several months MATA conducted an extensive search for our next CEO. Over 100 applicants expressed interest. That pool was narrowed to 11, then to five who met the criteria laid out by the board. Then, as often occurs in a competitive market, two of those finalists accepted executive positions at other public transit agencies. The board interviewed three candidates — inviting two to Memphis for additional interviews. This is the nature of recruiting highly qualified candidates in a competitive field. We continue to believe MATA needs a qualified CEO as soon as possible. Nothing can replace having a strong, permanent, leader at the helm — and this board is committed to that goal.”
The agency is currently being run by interim CEO John Lewis of TransPro Consulting. Lewis replaced former interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin after being appointed by the current board.
Lewis later made the decision to fire Mauldin after an investigation found that she violated “MATA’s Procurement and Travel Policy, and did not take sufficient steps to ensure compliance among her direct reports.”
Earlier this week, the agency invited the public to submit questions for the interviews — which was scheduled for a special called meeting on Wednesday.
The announcement comes after transit advocates and riders have asked for the public to be more involved in the selection process. The requests were further amplified when questions about the oversight of the agency’s finances by former leadership came to light after a series of audits.
Citizens and city officials have both said they don’t want anyone previously or currently associated with MATA to assume the role. These sentiments have been shared consistently after several audits and findings surfaced showing misspending by previous leadership.
Earlier this month, city council members reacted they termed a “disgusting” report released by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The report detailed several financial failures by the agency, including incomplete invoices, unchecked spending, and operation “without a defined budget.”
It was during an August 5th transportation committee meeting that Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton stated that she hoped that the new CEO did not come from within the department.
“Please do not bring anyone who has been part of this, as a suggestion,” Cooper-Sutton said.
While riders primarily agree, some are also skeptical of recruiting someone who has been vetted by city leadership.
“My biggest concern [is] that a new interim CE0 or city council trustee has no connections with those who may have benefited from the misspending by a previous leadership at MATA,” Johnnie Mosley, founding chairman for Citizens For Better Service said. “This will be a step backward. “
