ATLANTA — MARTA has signed a contract with its next general manager and chief executive officer.
The five-year contract with Keith T. Parker includes a $320,000 base salary with automatic, one-year renewable options. Parker is eligible to receive a $25,000 annuity for each year of his contract if he remains in the post until June 30, 2017, and could also receive compensation for meeting, or exceeding predetermined performance goals set by the MARTA Board.
“I am honored and humbled to be selected as MARTA’s next GM/CEO and am eager to begin working with our employees, customers, and transit stakeholders to provide efficient and effective transit service to the region,” Parker said in a news release. “As a public servant and avid transit rider, I look forward to taking MARTA to ensure we’re offering a quality transit experience and to leading an agency that is transparent and open to the people we serve.”
Parker, a certified urban planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), previously served as president/CEO of VIA transit in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to his Texas tenure, Parker served as assistant city manager for the city of Charlotte and was also CEO for the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS).
“Keith Parker’s experience, political acumen and management style are an ideal fit for the unique challenges we face,” Frederick L. Daniels Jr., chairman of the MARTA Board, said in a news release. “He has the full faith and confidence of our Board to begin the process of transforming, and re-positioning MARTA for the future.”
Parker starts his new role on Dec. 10.
