ATLANTA — The MARTA Board of Directors has appointed Jonathan Hunt as interim general manager and CEO. Hunt has served as MARTA’s chief legal counsel.
The move follows the retirement of Collie Greenwood on July 17.
Rhonda Allen, chief customer experience officer, has been serving as acting GM/CEO since June 18, when the work permit of Greenwood, a citizen of Canada, expired and he ceased working, eventually retiring.
Allen will continue to focus on initiatives to improve the customer experience.
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“I am honored by this appointment and grateful to the Board for this opportunity,” Hunt said.
He emphasized his commitment to addressing service issues and advancing projects ahead of the World Cup.
“My experience at MARTA, the respect I have for public transit and understanding of what this Authority is capable of, along with the relationships I’ve built in metro Atlanta put me in a prime position to serve in this interim role,“ he said. ”With the support of MARTA’s executive team and staff, I intend to immediately get to work addressing service issues and advancing projects ahead of the World Cup.”
MARTA has under the microscope recently following an elevator failure after a Beyoncé concert July 14 resulted in several injuries. A state report shows that the escalator was missing several parts.
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MARTA Board Chair Jennifer Ide addressed potential criticism for selecting an internal candidate, saying it “may appear to be more of the same from MARTA and that we are content with the status quo. That could not be further from the truth.
Ide praised Hunt’s “institutional knowledge” and said he will be supported by a strategic operational advisory group, led by former MARTA general manager and CEO Keith Parker.
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The advisory group includes Metro Atlanta Chamber CEO Katie Kirkpatrick, Atlanta Regional Commission Executive Director & CEO Anna Roach and City of Atlanta Chief Strategy Officer Peter Aman.
A search committee has been formed to work with an executive search firm to select a permanent GM/CEO, consisting of Chair Jennifer Ide, Valencia Williamson, Al Pond, Rita Scott and Sagirah Jones.
Before joining MARTA, Hunt served as assistant city attorney for the City of Atlanta, representing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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