RTD’s board of directors has selected the agency’s interim chief, Phillip Washington, as general manager and chief executive.
After about three hours of deliberations Tuesday night, Regional Transportation District directors unanimously chose the 51-year-old Washington as successor to Cal Marsella, who left RTD in July after 14 years as its top executive.
“It speaks volumes about what an exceptional agency we have, that following an exhaustive nationwide search, the best candidate for the job was right here at RTD,” board chairman Lee Kemp said in a statement.
“Phil has clearly demonstrated to us over the past six months that he is more than ready to lead this agency forward.”
After his selection was announced, Washington told the directors, “I would like to thank the board for the confidence they have in me and for the responsibility they have bestowed upon me.”
He enumerated his many priorities for RTD, including:
• “Providing safe, clean, reliable, courteous, accessible and cost-effective service throughout the district.”
• “Working with the RTD board, elected officials, the business community, our federal partners, neighborhood communities, and RTD employees and consultants to complete FasTracks.”
• “Tend to our great employees.”
• “Listen, lead, motivate and follow up.”
FasTracks, RTD’s plan to add six new train lines in metro Denver and extend three existing lines, is likely to present the greatest challenge to Washington and his management team.
The project currently needs another $2.3 billion if it is to be completed as planned by 2017. RTD staff is preparing a new financial evaluation of the project that might even widen that funding gap. The new finance plan is to be presented to RTD directors early next month.
In recent months, Washington and local government leaders have said they must work collectively to try to obtain more money for FasTracks from the federal government.
Six-month search
RTD’s directors spent six months and used the assistance of an executive recruitment firm in their search for the agency’s new leader.
Last week, the board named three finalists for RTD’s top spot: Washington, British Columbia Rapid Transit Co. president and chief executive Douglas Kelsey and former top United Airlines executive Sean Donohue.
A panel of six civic leaders selected by RTD’s board interviewed the finalists and recommended that Kelsey get the job.
RTD director Chris Martinez said the civic panel’s recommendation was one factor considered by the board, but directors also weighed the comments and preferences of RTD employees and others who had attended a public forum last week to meet and interview the finalists.
In addition, Martinez said, directors interviewed the candidates on two occasions, and the finalists were asked to provide responses in writing to questions posed by the board.
“It was a great process,” said director Bill James. “I look forward to it being smooth running in the future.”
RTD’s board still must negotiate a contract with Washington, who spent 24 years in the Army before joining RTD in 2000. Before being named interim GM last summer, Washington served as assistant general manager for administration, with responsibility for such RTD departments as finance, procurement, information technology, human resources and disadvantaged business enterprise.
“This is terrific for Phil,” Kelsey said. “I’m happy to support him. This is about Denver succeeding, and it’s great.”
Less-lucrative package
Directors are not expected to offer Washington as rich a compensation package as that enjoyed by Marsella.
Marsella’s employment contract with RTD included a salary of about $300,000 a year, an annual performance bonus that typically added the equivalent of 12.5 percent of base pay to his cash compensation, and a retirement plan that gave him 2 1/2 years of pension credit for each year worked at RTD.
Earlier this year, state Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, asked the state auditor to investigate RTD’s compensation policies for senior executives, especially the GM/CEO position. Results of that audit are expected next year.
Jeffrey Leib: 303-954-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com
