After a marathon meeting last month, the Regional Transit Authority's board of commissioners voted to narrow the field of candidates vying to be the agency's next CEO from five to three.

In a letter sent to the RTA board last week, however, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno requested a do-over of that part of the process, asking that the board "bring all five candidates forward for consideration before making a final selection."

The RTA board — which Moreno appointed earlier this year — spent nearly six hours behind closed doors in executive session at its meeting last month interviewing the five candidates on a videoconference call before holding a public vote to pick three finalists.

Moreno, in a statement on Friday, said selecting the next CEO is ultimately the board's decision and that she would "respect whatever direction they choose."

She added that she supports the idea of holding a public forum where RTA employees and riders can hear from the candidates.

"The more information and transparency we can provide throughout this process, the better," she said.

In a statement Monday, RTA Board Chair Ann Duplessis said the board plans to stick with its decision, but it is working with RIDE New Orleans, a rider advocacy group, to host a public meeting sometime next week.

"Given the extensive work that has already occurred and where we are in the search process, the Board believes the appropriate course is to continue moving forward with those three finalists," Duplessis said. "Riders, employees and members of the public will have an opportunity to hear directly from the three finalists about their qualifications, their leadership philosophy and their vision for the future of RTA."

'Deserves your direct involvement'

Moreno sent the letter to the board after receiving a separate letter last week from Ronald Horn, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1560, which represents nearly 500 RTA employees.

Horn asked that Moreno "personally interview all five candidates" before a final selection is made.

"The RTA Chief Executive Officer position is critically important to New Orleans," Horn wrote. "The selection deserves your direct involvement and careful consideration of the full field of candidates."

Moreno had planned to speak with the five candidates before last months' meeting but wasn't able to. In her letter to the board last week, Moreno said that she had spoken with the three finalists and planned to extend an invitation to the other two candidates. She said the board could show it is listening to the agency's workforce by reconsidering all five candidates.

"As the next CEO is selected, this is an opportunity to demonstrate that employees are being heard and that their perspective matters," Moreno wrote.

The RTA began accepting applications for a new chief executive after former CEO Lona Edwards Hankins stepped down from the post in May after clashing with the new RTA board.

The RTA board hired KL2 Connects, LLC, a North Carolina-based executive search firm, to review the applications and select five semi-finalists. The firm shared its short list with city officials and local stakeholders in August, along with a 64-page briefing book commenting on each candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.

The five candidates included:

• Justin Augustine, the former regional vice president for Transdev Services, Inc.
• Herold Humphrey, an Atlanta-based public transit consultant
• Bernard Jackson, the chief operating officer at the New York City Transit Authority
• Mark Major, the former deputy CEO at the RTA
• Reginald “Reggie” Mason, CEO of the Greensboro Transit Agency in North Carolina

After emerging from executive session at last month's meeting, the five board members in attendance went down the line and listed the three candidates they'd like to see advance to the next round.

In the final tally, Augustine received five votes, Jackson four votes and Mason three votes — qualifying them for the next round.

Major, who served on Moreno's transition committee and was the runner-up during the last CEO search, received two votes. Humphrey received one vote.

Duplessis, in her statement on Monday, said she has great respect for Moreno and shares her belief that the voices of RTA employees, riders and the broader public should be considered in this process.

"The Mayor, the Board, our employees, our riders and the community ultimately want the same thing: an outstanding leader who can strengthen RTA, improve the reliability and quality of transit service, support our workforce, rebuild public confidence and move the agency forward," Duplessis said.

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