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Former Metra chief may head to Calif., reduce severance

If Alex Clifford is offered the position of CEO/GM at the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District and accepts it, Metra estimates that its total savings to the agency from his severance agreement could top $200,000.

March 27, 2014
1 min to read


CHICAGO — The Chicago Tribune reported that Alex Clifford, Metra’s ex-CEO, may take the helm at the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (Metro).

The Metro board of directors is planning to vote on Friday on a five-year contract with a CEO/GM title that would start in early May.

If Clifford is offered the position and accepts it, Metra estimates that the total savings to the agency could top $200,000 from the severance agreement it has with Clifford, which is worth as much as $871,000, according to the Tribune.

Clifford told the paper that the Metro board was aware of the controversy surrounding his allegations of political interference at Metra, and they viewed it as a measure of “high ethical standards and integrity.” For the full story, click here.

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