C-TRAN names two finalists in executive director/CEO search

C-TRAN has narrowed a field of dozens of candidates to two finalists in the search for a new Executive Director/CEO. Current Executive Director/CEO Jeff Hamm will retire at the end of June after more than 10 years leading the Vancouver, Wash.-based transit agency.

The two finalists to succeed him both bring deep experience in public transportation:

Shawn Donaghy is a third-generation transportation executive and is currently the COO for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority in Fort Worth, Texas. In his current role, Donaghy oversees fixed-route operations, paratransit operations, maintenance, information technology, safety and risk management, security and transit police, service scheduling, vanpool/contract management, and key performance/regulatory metrics. Prior to this position, he served as the COO for the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority in Cincinnati. Donaghy has a bachelor's degree from Northern Kentucky University.

Doug Middleton most recently served as the executive VP of Maintenance and previously as the COO at Pierce Transit in Tacoma, Wash. In those roles he oversaw transportation (fixed-route and paratransit), maintenance (fleet and facilities), personnel, and public safety. Middleton holds a bachelor's degree from California Baptist University, Riverside, and a Master's in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach.

Each candidate will participate in a series of interviews next week. They'll meet with C-TRAN employees, the C-TRAN Citizens Advisory Committee, the C-TRAN Board of Directors and others as part of the interview process. The board is expected to choose C-TRAN's new Executive Director/CEO before Hamm's departure.

Hamm's tenure at C-TRAN has included numerous notable achievements, including the launch of The Vine, the region's first bus rapid transit system, in January. Since Hamm joined C-TRAN as Executive Director/CEO in 2007, C-TRAN has also:

•     Opened the 99th Street Transit Center

•     Implemented a Vanpool program

•     Adopted the C-TRAN 2030 Plan

•     Implemented automatic drop-down chains on nearly all fixed-route buses

•     Opened the new Salmon Creek Park and Ride

•     Added dozens of hybrid vehicles to the fixed-route fleet

•     Partnered with TriMet and Portland Streetcar on Hop Fastpass, the regional electronic fare system launching in 2017

C-TRAN's next executive director/CEO will lead an agency that remains financially sound, debt-free and ready to adapt as Clark County continues to grow and change, according to an agency press release. An update to the agency's long-range plans in the next few years will also help chart the future of public transportation in the region.