A five-member panel charged with finding a replacement for the outgoing leader of the RTD will do so amid criticism of its ethnic makeup.
Regional Transportation District board chairman Chuck Sisk on Tuesday picked himself and fellow board members Barbara Deadwyler, Tom Tobiassen, Kent Bagley and Tina Francone as the agency’s transition team. Francone is one of the newest members of the board, elected in November.
The group will find a replacement for RTD general manager and CEO as well as find an interim general manager. Washington is stepping down to become the CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Board member Paul Solano attacked the search group for not including enough Hispanic members from the full 15-member RTD board.
“There are two Hispanics on the (full) board, and they are not on the committee,” Solano said. “What’s up with that?
“It looks too much like an old boys’ network.”
Solano counted himself and newly elected board member Ernest Archuleta as the two Hispanic board members. Francone said she considers herself Hispanic.
Board member Judy Lubow also wanted assurances that the full board will have plenty of say in naming a new RTD boss.
Sisk said the search process is designed to include heavy input from board members, RTD staffers, riders and members of the community.
Washington has been with RTD for the 15 years since retiring from the Army. He was RTD’s assistant general manager of administration for nearly 10 years before he was promoted to general manager and CEO in 2009.
Washington leaves a $350,000 annual salary and benefits package to become the CEO of the County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the third-largest public transportation system in the country.
Washington oversaw the FasTracks plan, a $4.7 billion voter-approved mass-transit project that calls for 122 miles of light and commuter rail to connect the metro area.
Washington was also instrumental in using private companies to help complete FasTracks projects and expanding RTD’s minority-hiring program.
He has not set a departure date.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/montewhaley
