After five years as general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Jack Leary decided to step down. Leary will leave SEPTA at the end of his present contract, which expires on Jan. 31, 2002. He said he was looking forward to returning to his native Massachusetts and a newly built home on Cape Cod. "My years at SEPTA have been the most personally and professionally satisfying in a long and challenging career in public transportation," Leary said. Prior to his appointment at SEPTA, Leary served as executive director and CEO of the Bi-State Development Agency in St. Louis, Mo. His career in transit began as a train operator at Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, where he eventually became deputy general manager. A General Manager Selection Committee will be formed to select a replacement. The committee will first review internal candidates but will widen the search nationally if needed. For more on Leary's departure, click on www.septa.com.