LTD reopens search for next general manager

EUGENE, Ore. —(June 16, 2022)— The Lane Transit District Board of Directors has reopened its search for the district’s next general manager.

Mark Johnson will continue as interim general manager until a new general manager is hired. He took on the interim role after Aurora Jackson announced in July 2021 that she would be moving to an executive position in private industry.

“LTD has a busy summer ahead of it,” Mark said. “With Oregon22, the Oregon Country Fair returning, and Butte to Butte, LTD will keep its eye on the road ahead to connect our community with dependable and efficient bus service.”

In late May, the LTD board of directors offered the GM position to Jameson Auten, deputy general manager with the Kansas City Area Transit Authority.

After taking time to consider the offer, Jameson withdrew from consideration.

In a letter to the community, LTD Interim General Manager Mark Johnson wrote: “All of us with LTD appreciate the time and thoughtful consideration Jameson and his family generously gave to the district’s job offer. We wish him nothing but the best of success wherever his career takes him next.”

“We are disappointed our initial recruitment effort did not yield a new general manager for the district,” said Caitlin Vargas, president of the LTD board of directors. “I know that with a little more work and patience that the board of directors will hire the best and most qualified candidate who embraces our community’s values.”

TransPro Consulting has been retained to continue LTD’s executive recruitment for its next general manager.

The board will invite two or three finalists to engage in an interview process with employees, stakeholders, and community members, similar to the interviews conducted during the previous executive search.

An interview timeline has not yet been established, but will be announced at a later date.

LTD provides more than 10 million boardings per year on its buses and EmX Bus Rapid Transit line in Lane County, Oregon. Encompassing the Eugene-Springfield metro area, LTD is a special district of the State of Oregon and led by a seven-member board of directors appointed by Oregon’s governor. LTD also operates RideSource, a paratransit service for people with disabilities, and numerous transportation options programs to promote sustainable travel county-wide.