Richard Sarles was unanimously chosen by Metro’s Board of Directors to lead the transit agency, letting him shed his “interim” title after almost 10 months in exchange for a three-year contract and a new title of “general manager and chief executive officer.” Sarles promised to continue focusing on safety and restoring the system to a “state of good repair” even if that means short-term inconvenience to riders.
“While it may not be immediately evident, we are literally building a new Metro system for our customers,” he said.
Sarles took over in April when embattled General Manager John Catoe resigned, saying he didn’t want to be considered for the permanent job. Sarles, a professional engineer with a master’s degree in business administration, arrived at Metro last year after retiring as executive director of New Jersey Transit. He was 65, and said he hoped to enjoy his retirement.
| » BEFORE as interim general manager of Metro: Sarles had been earning $25,000 a month for a one-year contract – the equivalent of $300,000 per year, plus use of a one-bedroom apartment in Virginia. |
| » AFTER as three-year general manager/CEO of Metro: Sarles said he will be making $350,000 a year and have a ride-free-for-life-Metro-farecard. That’s more than former General Manager John Catoe’s base salary of $315,000 when he left, but lacks Catoe’s $60,000-per-year housing allowance. Sarles said he will start paying rent on his current apartment immediately, but start looking for a larger place soon. |
The board conducted an international search and was “almost down to a choice” when Sarles asked to be considered, according to Mortimer Downey, a federal appointee to the Metro board. Sarles said he decided he wanted to stay only recently, as the agency was starting to turn around. “I think we can do something,” he said.
“I’m glad we were able to see the tremendous talent we had right under our nose,” said Maryland representative Elizabeth Hewlett.
Outgoing board Chairman Peter Benjamin credited Sarles with stabilizing the agency after months of turmoil, calling him a “true and tested leader” who is deliberate and methodical.
“Richard Sarles has demonstrated what we are really looking for. The man walked in the door and put safety first,” Benjamin said. “He did not come in as a caretaker. He took on the challenge. He took on the tough work.”
The 14-member Metro board, which was criticized by outside groups for micromanaging operations, is giving Sarles the title of chief executive officer as a symbol that it will let him handle the transit system’s day-to-day issues.
Sarles said he plans to focus on customer service, bringing in an outside assessment of Metro’s customer call centers and reinstating a “secret shopper” program. The board pulled the plug on a nearly $1 million secret shopper program in 2009, a year after starting it, because of budget constraints.
Sarles said he doesn’t have enough wiggle room in the budget for major add-ons. But he plans to improve transit service with some small steps, such as making buses a priority on local roads and creating a “virtual tunnel” between Metro’s Farragut North and Farragut West stations so riders can transfer between the Red and Orange/Blue lines without paying twice.
