Executive Career Opportunity

How would you like to live and work in a city that Travel + Leisure regards as one of "America's Favorite Cities" that has the highest "Quality of Life and Visitor Experience?" KL2 Connects LLC has been retained by the Board of Directors of Chatham Area Transit (CAT) to recruit the Authority’s next Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director. CAT is at an exciting point in its history and this position will play a key role in its future.

Candidates are encouraged to visit the CAT website (www.catchacat.org) which contains more detailed information about CAT and its services. Chatham Area Transit (CAT) provides public transportation in the Savannah, Georgia metropolitan area. With roots dating back to Savannah’s first electric streetcars in the late-19th century, CAT has a long history of helping residents and visitors get to their destinations. Today, CAT embraces that tradition by meeting the area’s public transportation needs with a modern fleet of accessible vehicles designed to serve all people.

The Chatham Area Authority was founded in 1987 after the collapse of previous transit providers. Today, services operate seven days a week, and ninety percent of county residents are within reasonable walking distance of a bus route.

CAT’s fleet of fixed-route buses, Mobility vehicles, and water ferries provide about four million passenger trips a year throughout Savannah, unincorporated Chatham County, and portions of Garden

City. The transit system connects commuters to work, students to school, and visitors to popular spots, shops, and restaurants. It serves residents and visitors with routes to and from the airport, hotels, and healthcare facilities.

Chatham Area Transit’s continuing mission is to provide quality public transportation services in a professional and responsive manner. CAT’s values are of excellence, integrity, and sustainability in service to our community. CAT is governed by a nine-member board, the Chatham Area Transit Authority, which consists of 3 members of the Chatham County Commission; 1 resident of the unincorporated area of Chatham County; 1

resident of Chatham County with a disability; 1 resident of Chatham County at-large; 1 member of the Savannah City Council; 1 Savannah resident appointed by the Savannah City Council; and 1 resident of any municipality within Chatham County other than Savannah that is included in the CAT service district (currently Garden City). Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer manages CAT’s day-to-day operations. Recent History (2010-Present)

Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director (CEO)Chatham Area Transit (Savannah, Georgia)

In 2010, the CAT Board voted to enter into a delegated management contract with Veolia Transportation as a way of bringing private business efficiency to this critical public service. Under the public-private partnership, CAT rolled out a rebranding campaign designed to not only change the look of the buses but the entire perception of Chatham Area Transit and local public transportation. A new website was designed, new uniforms were chosen for bus operators, and the mentality that CAT was operating as a bus company was beginning to change. CAT transported more than 3.4 million people and began positioning itself as a regional mobility manager.

July 2012 brought the defeat of the T-SPLOST vote, a transportation sales tax initiative designed to fund infrastructure and transportation projects across Georgia as a countermeasure to declining federal and state funding. However, CAT staff continues to seek alternative funding sources through grants and state legislation efforts.

Other major project milestones during that time include collaborating with customers to revamp the Paratransit Plan and the customer handbook in order to provide clearer guidelines and improve service;

completing the data-collecting and community input stages of a new TDP in order to shape the next five years of CAT’s future; and progressing on the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project, installing hardware and testing components.

In 2013, the CAT Board ended its contract with Veolia, believing the General Manager and staff capable of continuing their progress without the management contract price tag. That Fall the new Joe Murray Rivers Jr. Intermodal Transit Center opened with great success and a heartfelt dedication to one of Savannah’s strongest transit advocates.

By the summer of 2014 CAT welcomed the community to an open house of its newly renovated Operations and Maintenance Facility, CAT Central, which brought much-needed upgrades to the community’s only public transportation agency. In October 2014, construction was completed on the first phase of an intermodal facility on Hutchinson Island. Designed to serve anticipated growth across the river, phase 1 of this project prepares the area for a second ferry dock with customer seating, cover, and information tools. The facility remains unused due to delays in the private development on the site.

In 2015, CAT continued efforts to generate interest in full county-wide service, meeting with communities in west Chatham County. The first super stop was also completed, bringing new seating and bike racks. A major marketing effort took place most of that year preparing customers for the discontinuation of change cards on the bus, lowering pass rates, and offering a brand-new half-fare for youths.

In 2016, CAT celebrated some major funding victories, receiving awards totaling more than $15 million from the Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority’s Go! Transit Capital Program and the U.S.

Department of Transportation’s Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program. Both grants will be used for replacing aging buses and paratransit vehicles. With the Board’s approval in November, a portion of the funds will also be used to purchase new electric buses.

CAT also stepped up for the community during Hurricane Matthew, providing free services before and after the evacuation, and helping to take and return the 4,400 people who evacuated.

In January of 2017, CAT celebrated 30 years of service. Later that year, CAT again provided free services to Chatham County during Hurricane Irma, transporting over 1,900 residents to and from out of town shelters. In May of 2018 CAT unveiled the first of 18 new 35-ft buses being added into its fleet. In July of 2018 CAT, in a partnership with the City of Savannah, extended the hours of the dot Shuttle (two routes providing free circulation service in the downtown) to better match the needs of the community.

In January of 2019 CAT announced its Let’s Go! Designing Better Transit Together initiative, intended to result in a system-wide redesign of the community’s fixed-route bus network. The project was suspended later in the year.

Transit System Statistics

CAT’s service area comprises 165 square miles with a population of 260,677 (2010 Census). It currently operates forty-nine (49) fixed route buses in peak service, two (2) ferries and thirty-four (34) paratransit vehicles (eight (8) of which are in purchased transportation service). There are nineteen (19) bus routes. During weekdays, seven (7) routes have peak frequency of thirty (30) minutes or less (not including the two (2) Downtown Circulator routes which are operated under contract to the City of Savannah). The remainder operate hourly or less frequently. Frequencies are greater on weekends and holidays. There is Sunday service. In fiscal year 2020 (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020) the operating budget is $27.1 million and a capital budget of $13.7 million. Its revenue sources are:

The following tables show service and ridership statistics for the three most recent fiscal years available from the National Transit Database (NTD).

Bus Service

Fiscal Year Revenue Miles Revenue Hours Unlinked Passenger Trips Trips per Hour2019 2,300,144 181,498 3,168,774 17.52018 2,139,246 169,709 2,947,187 17.42017 2,363,600 179,783 3,168,439 17.62016 2,376,094 183,032 3,532,628 19.3

Paratransit

Fiscal Year Revenue Miles Revenue Hours Unlinked Passenger Trips Trips per Hour2019 1,175,719 71,442 112,915 1.62018 1,135,533 68,914 108,200 1.62017 1,070,730 68,825 107,729 1.62016 897,788 56,901 98,088 1.7

Ferry

Fiscal Year Revenue Miles Revenue Hours Unlinked Passenger Trips Trips per Hour2019 15,352 6,790 787,468 116.02018 15,731 6,879 853,809 124.12017 15,335 6,700 665,162 99.32016 15,661 6,893 745,546 108.6

 

Excellent analytical information about the service, riders and demand characteristics can be found on the CAT website on the “Let’s Go! “tab.

The Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director (CEO)

Leadership Profile

CAT’s new Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director (CEO) must be experienced, charismatic, innovative, highly effective, a proactive communicator, and relationship builder with political acumen and good judgment. The CEO will have a proven track record in working with Boards of Directors, building organizational effectiveness, bringing communities together, and building consensus. The CEO must be a staunch advocate for collaboration who recognizes the diversity and uniqueness of Chatham County. The Authority’s recent experience will require the new leader to rebuild trust in CAT. This will include strategic and extensive engagement with governing entities and community stakeholders to gain support for critical organizational and service decisions. Two major issues currently are challenging CAT:

The first major issue is that the Authority is working to overcome the actions of a previous CEO who defrauded the Authority. This was complicated by a precipitous change in the operating model of the Authority from private to public management. This required the Authority to very quickly implement the necessary policy and procedures to manage a multi-million-dollar organization. This was approximately six years ago, but many actions and decisions continue to be influenced by this history. Through diligent staff and Board effort, the Authority has enacted many appropriate policies and procedures and successfully rebuilt the confidence of its funding partners, especially the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Despite this, a cloud remains over CAT as it continues to implement strong policies for public management, compliance, and transparency.

The new CEO must have expertise in leading the Board in reaching consensus on these policies and re-establishing its confidence in the staff. He/she also must be hyper-active with external stakeholders to overcome the lingering negative perception about this matter that unfortunately remains in key parts of the community. In the aftermath of this scandal, the Authority is understandably focused on internal issues. This led to a perception by key external stakeholders that staff leadership was not engaged with the community.

A deep commitment to engagement and full transparency within the organization and community is vital to CAT’s success. CAT’s new leader must always demonstrate this when working with the Board, staff, partners, and numerous other stakeholders. The CEO must fully embrace the importance of

personal and organizational accountability and position himself or herself as a trusted and open-minded partner to the Authority’s stakeholders.

The second major issue facing CAT is service related. The new CEO must focus on the basics of current service (i.e., on time performance) to ensure that customers’ needs are being met and that the community and the Board know that

the system is operating efficiently and effectively. At the same time, CAT is struggling with its service package and funding for basic services is a challenge. CAT has a dedicated special district property tax enabled by State statute, but the amount of the tax is determined by the Chatham County Commission, which balances CAT’s financial needs as part of the overall County tax rate. This comes in the face of a political desire to extend some form of CAT service to the entire County when only Savannah, the unincorporated parts of Chatham County, and a small portion of Garden City currently levy the special district tax. The type and amount of service also is under close scrutiny.

Last year CAT hired a consultant to lead an ambitious effort to restructure its bus service. After several months of study and community engagement, the study was put on hold. The dividing issue appears to be how to balance a more frequent geographically limited route structure that could lead to increased ridership against the needs of riders in less dense and low ridership areas of the current route network that would be affected by the change. The successful candidate will bring credibility to this position from managing organizations that have faced similar issues. Knowledge of transit industry best practices, emerging technologies, and service approaches is essential. The CEO will build a strong leadership team that is responsive to customers that can engage the community to determine a sustainable service package.

Also important is a demonstrated history of successfully managing public funds and obtaining grants to ensure the financial health of the Authority. Visionary leadership and a strategic orientation are keys to success in this role, as are team building and collaboration. CAT’s new CEO will be an inspiring change agent who will be able to overcome past failures and focus on future successes.

The CEO will bring well-developed soft skills to the position and model empathetic listening, servant leadership, appreciative inquiry, openness, humility, and respect. CAT’s new leader must be committed to building and maintaining diversity, inclusion, and equity. The strongest candidates will have a welcoming and approachable manner and a commitment to honesty, openness, and ethical behavior.

In summary, highly desired characteristics for CAT’s next CEO will include:

Professional integrity, transparency, and honesty Self-control and emotional maturity Skills to build effective relationships and unity with a welcoming and approachable manner Highly effective, proactive communications skills, the ability to truly listen as well as speak Charisma, executive gravitas, political savvy The ability to inspire trust and confidence Effective team building skills, excellent interpersonal and leadership skills The ability to inspire and lead improvements in organizational structure and culture The ability to motivate others and effectively communicate a future vision The ability to approach conversations with a collaborative and open attitude The agility needed to manage change both internally and externally The ability to recognize the value of diversity, inclusion, and equity, and to put them into practice An appropriate approach to Authority role, services, and sustainability The ability to acquire and manage existing and new funding sources The ability to build, articulate, and advocate the “business case” for CAT Good judgment and decision-making skills Superior time management and delegation skills An orientation towards strong performance and results Strategic thinking skills, the ability to communicate technical issues in layman’s terms The ability to be conversant in transit technical skills Genuine concern and passion for the Authority, the community, and all stakeholders

Job Description

The Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director (CEO) is the highest-ranking executive team member and has the responsibility for the overall success of the agency. Reporting directly to the Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT or the Authority) Board of Directors, the CEO communicates and implements the Authority’s vision and mission and provides overall direction for all staff. The CEO serves as the primary liaison between CAT and all stakeholders including local, state, and federal government agencies; business and special interest groups; elected officials; and the public, as these relationships relate to public transportation and the organization’s strategic plan.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned.)

Creates an environment and culture focusing on fulfilling the Authority’s mission, vision, and values.

Ensures that the Authority’s mission, service delivery, and programs are consistently presented in a strong, positive image to relevant stakeholders.

Leads, guides, and directs executive leaders and their staff to ensure achievement of the Authority’s strategic objectives.

Serves as the CAT Board of Director’s Executive Officer by:o Providing necessary information, assistance, and advice.o Developing and recommending for Board adoption the annual operating and capital

budgets.o Soliciting Board Member advice and guidance.

Establishes and maintains an organizational structure that will adequately provide resources necessary for CAT operations by overseeing and monitoring the following:

o The performance of transit system operations, relative to established performance metrics and the adopted budget.

o The maintenance and security of Authority assets including land, structures, and equipment.

o The performance of administrative functions, developing processes necessary to meet internal expectations and regulatory requirements.

o Staff recruitment, hiring, career development, and retention to ensure the agency is staffed with qualified, well-trained, engaged employees.

o Periodic evaluations that establish appropriate salary levels and recommend staff development.

Represents the Authority in negotiation and execution of all contracts, leases or other agreements and commitments of Authority resources, facilities, or personnel.

Institutes initiatives to maintain high quality service delivery and administrative functionality in compliance with agency policy and procedures and applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

Ensures that the organization’s leadership team maintains constant awareness of both the internal and external competitive landscape, opportunities for expansion and growth, customer base and passenger needs, market trends, and new industry developments and standards.

Evaluates the success of the agency in reaching its goals. Represents the agency for professional association responsibilities and activities in the local

community, the state, and at the national level. Participates in industry-related events or associations that will enhance the CEO’s leadership skills,

the Authority’s reputation, and the Authority’s potential for success.

Supervisory Responsibilities

All CAT employees, with an appropriate number of direct reports that may include but not be limited to: Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, and Administrative Support Manager

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college in a related professional discipline. Master’s degree in Business, Public Administration, or related program not required but desired.

Five (5) years progressively responsible management experience in an organization of comparable size and complexity including holding senior management/leadership positions, including tenure as a CEO.

Effective oral and written communication skills and excellent research, writing, planning, and organizational skills.

Strong ability to establish rapport and maintain effective working relationships with other department staff, management, vendors, outside agencies, community groups, and the general public. The ability to garner support and advance the Authority’s interests at the Federal, State, and regional levels. Some travel required.

Language Skills

Effective oral and written communication skills; excellent research, writing, planning and organizational skills. Exceptional level of interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills required to effectively and sensitively communicate with all levels of riders, the public, supervisory and non-supervisory employees, governmental entities, judicial personnel, and staff when providing advice, counseling, interaction in meetings, and explaining complex information. Reasoning Ability

Able to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving several variables in standardized situations. Strong analytical skills are a must.

Computer Skills

Experience with word processing, spreadsheets, Internet software, e-mail, and/or database software.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

None required. Professional certifications desired.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to

enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods; stand; walk; use hands to manipulate, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential

functions. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the environment is moderate.

Disclaimer Statement

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so qualified.

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the oldest city in the state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital. A strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War, Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport. It is Georgia's fifth-

largest city, with a 2018 estimated population of 145,862. The Savannah metropolitan area, Georgia's third-largest, had an estimated population of 389,494 in 2018.

Each year Savannah attracts millions of visitors to its cobblestone streets, parks, and notable historic buildings. Savannah's downtown area, which includes the Savannah Historic District, the Savannah Victorian Historic District, and 22 parklike squares, is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States. Downtown Savannah largely retains the original town plan prescribed by founder James Oglethorpe.

Savannah lies approximately 20 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the primary port on the Savannah River and the largest port in the state of Georgia and the third largest container port in the nation. It is also located near the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway. Georgia's Ogeechee River flows toward the Atlantic Ocean some 16 miles south of downtown Savannah, and forms the southern city limit.

Savannah's architecture, history, and reputation for Southern charm and hospitality are internationally known. The city's former promotional name was "Hostess City of the South," a phrase still used by the city government.

The Port of Savannah, manufacturing, the military, and tourism have become Savannah's four major economic drivers in the twenty-first century. In 2006, the Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau reported over 6.85 million visitors to the city during the year. By 2011, the Bureau reported that the number of visitors the city attracted increased to 12.1 million. Lodging, dining, entertainment, and visitor-related transportation account for over $2 billion in visitors' spending per year and employ over 17,000.

The city's location offers visitors access to the coastal islands and the Savannah Riverfront, both popular tourist destinations. Tybee Island, formerly known as "Savannah Beach", is the site of the Tybee Island

Light Station, the first lighthouse on the southern Atlantic coast. Other picturesque towns adjacent to Savannah include the shrimping village of Thunderbolt and three residential areas that began as summer resort communities for Savannahians: Beaulieu, Vernonburg, and the Isle of Hope.

Savannah is a city of diverse neighborhoods. More than 100 distinct neighborhoods can be identified in six principal areas of the city: Downtown, Midtown, Southside, Eastside, Westside, and Southwest/West Chatham. Besides the Savannah Historic District, one of

the nation's largest, four other historic districts have been formally demarcated: Victorian District, Cuyler-Brownsville District, Thomas Square Historic District, and Pin Point Historic District.

Savannah adopted a council-manager form of government in 1954. The city council consists of the mayor and eight aldermen, six of whom are elected from one of six aldermanic districts, with each district electing one member. The other two members and the mayor are elected at-large. The council levies taxes, enacts ordinances, adopts the annual budget, and appoints the City Manager. The City Manager enacts the policies and programs established by council, recommends an annual budget and work programs, appoints bureau and department heads, and exercises general supervision and control over all employees of the city.

The city of Savannah has a rich and growing performing arts scene, offering cultural events throughout the year. Among numerous others, notable attractions and events include the Savannah Book Festival, Telfair Museum for the Arts (the oldest art museum in the South), the Coastal Jazz Association, Savannah Music Festival, Stopover Music Festival, Savannah Black Heritage Festival, Savannah Philharmonic and many more. Savannah hosts four colleges and universities offering Bachelor's, Master's, and professional or doctoral degree programs: Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Savannah State University, and South University. SCAD, one of the largest art schools in the

world with more than 10,000 students, is also one of the largest landowners in the Downtown Historic District. In addition, Georgia Tech Savannah offers certificate programs, and Georgia Southern University has a satellite campus in the downtown area. Savannah Technical College, a two-year technical institution and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, a marine science research institute of the University of Georgia located on the northern end of Skidaway Island, offer educational programs as well

Mercer University began a four-year doctor of medicine program in August 2008 at Memorial University Medical Center. Mercer, with its main campus in Macon, received additional state funding in 2007 to expand its existing partnership with Memorial by establishing a four-year medical school in Savannah (the first in southern Georgia). Third- and fourth-year Mercer students have completed two-year clinical rotations at Memorial since 1996; approximately 100 residents are trained each year in a number of specialties. The expanded program opened in August 2008 with 30 first-year students.

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System serves 38,000 students with 23 elementary schools, 8 middle schools and 11 high schools and 5 charter schools. Two of the schools have reached “Blue Ribbon” status from the U.S. Department of Education. Savannah also is home to numerous high-quality private schools for all grade levels.

How to Apply

This is an excellent opportunity with a progressive agency that offers attractive compensation, relocation, and equal opportunity. CAT values diversity at all levels of its workforce — women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

To be considered, go to https://jobs.KL2connects.com, select the CAT listing, and upload your cover letter, resume, and 4-5 professional references (preferably supervisory and including each reference’s name, title, relationship to you, phone, and email address). For more information please contact KL2 Connects LLC’s John Bartosiewicz at John@KL2connects.com.

Thank you for your interest in an exciting career with Chatham Area Transit!