A Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) official earns national recognition this year from the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The award honors those professionals who have shown exceptional leadership, innovation, and creativity in the public transit industry.
Michael Davis is chief operating officer and senior deputy administrator at the MTA and is 1 of 14 national honorees. The annual President's Transportation Awards recognize individuals, programs or teams for improving environmental conditions, utilizing technology, implementing excellent executive management skills, increasing efficiencies and making effective use of taxpayer dollars.
“Mike’s exceptional leadership, innovation, and creativity laid the ground work for a strategic vision at the MTA to improve our efficiency, reliability and environmental sustainability,” said MTA Administrator Ralign T. Wells. “Our agency has become more innovative, resourceful and efficient, in large part, due to Mike rolling up his sleeves and accepting the challenges the economy has presented us. We’ve had to reinvent ourselves and Mike is a key partner in ensuring that we reach my goal of making the MTA the best transit agency in the country.”
Davis set standards and delivered positive results in transit operation safety, efficiency and human resource management. His efforts developed policies and programs that reduced overtime expenditures by more than 26 percent ($7.5 million) while at the same time increasing services. He oversaw the implementation of a new absenteeism policy that reduced absenteeism 18 percent. Davis also implemented OpStat, an agency wide program that engages middle management in the budgetary process, helping MTA monitor performance of departments for maximum efficiency. During his tenure, the testing and use of the ProTracker Early Warning System has added an extra layer of safety for MTA track workers. The use of the personal armband devices gives both track workers and train operators advance warning whenever a train is approaching a work zone.
“I never thought I would win such an award,” said Davis. “Let me tell you that it is not just my sole effort that earned this recognition. I would like to make a special mention of the many, many MTA employees who put it on the line day after day. They bought into our initiatives and make us look good.”
The awards will be presented November 18 during the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is the voice for transportation and catalyst for organizational and technical excellence. It advocates transportation-related policies and provides technical services to support states in their efforts to efficiently and safely move people and goods.
