Chatham Area Transit begins search for new CEO six months after termination of Bacarra Mauldin

About six months after terminating former CEO/Executive Director Bacarra Mauldin, Chatham Area Transit (CAT) is one step closer to hiring a new leader. On Tuesday the CAT Authority approved a contract with recruiting firm Colin Baenziger & Associates to start the search.

Mauldin, who first took over the job in June 2020, was terminated by the board on Jan. 26. The board named CAT Outreach Manager Valerie Ragland as interim CEO later that week.

There was no discussion on the unanimous vote to award the $34,500 contract to the Florida-firm.

Board member Michael O'Halloran, who also serves as the Executive Search Ad-hoc Committee Chair, said the firm hopes to begin the search at the end of August. The process could take up to 90 days, he said.

"Hopefully within three months we'll be interviewing and hiring a new CEO," he said.

The organization initially included $30,000 under contract services for a CEO executive search in the FY 2022 operating budget. Although exceeding the budgeted amount by $4,500, Colin Baenziger & Associates was the lowest cost proposal. The overage will be covered by funds allocated for board training.

The new CEO will be the 10th for the taxpayer-funded organization since 2005 when 10-year veteran Scott Lansing left the organization. Following Lansing's departure the organization tapped Carl Palmer as CEO. Palmer was terminated two years later.

Next came Joe Rivers, a former Chatham commissioner, who served as interim for two years before Charles Odimgbe was hired in 2009. Odimgbe was followed by Chadwick Reese, Curtis Koleber, Michael Brown, Mauldin and now Ragland.

Reese was indicted for mail fraud and extortion in a bribery and kickback scheme to rig bids for CAT contracts in December 2015. Maintenance director Joel Morris was also indicted on the same charges.

The following year Reese was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay more than $700,000 to CAT for his role in the scheme. Morris was sentenced to 20 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,500 to CAT.

Following her termination, Mauldin accused the board of disregarding both CAT and Federal Transit Authority procurement rules and violating Georgia's Open Meetings Act. Mauldin filed a lawsuit against the CAT authority in early February. The case is still pending.

Katie Nussbaum is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at [email protected]. Twitter: KmartSMN

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