Director of Transportation - Texas Transit Association

The East Texas Council of Governments
located in Kilgore, Texas is seeking
an experienced transit manager
to be the next
Director of Transportation
The Community:
The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG)
serves a fourteen county area of East Texas stretching
from 60 miles east of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
to the Texas-Louisiana border. The area is served by
Interstate Highway 20 and numerous U.S. highways as
well as regional airports in Tyler and Longview and an
expansive rail network. Headquartered in Kilgore, employees of the agency are able to take advantage of the
many amenities of the region.
The Kilgore-Longview area is a shopping and transportation center for a region with a population of almost
300,000 people. Located in the center of the East Texas pine forest, noted for rolling hills and numerous
lakes, the area is also the hub of tourist activity in the
region. Top employers include medical services, heavy
industries and education.
Originally settled in the days before the Civil War, the Kilgore-Longview area was originally an agricultural community supporting the cotton and timber industries. The first major change to impact the area occurred when the railroads came to the
area in the 1870’s, thereby connecting East Texas to a national transportation network. In the fall of 1930, a major development in Kilgore literally changed the world. Oil was discovered in Kilgore and the East Texas Oil Field made the area internationally famous. Kilgore became known as the Capital of the East Texas Oil Field. At the time the largest oil field in the
continental United States, this activity attracted people from all over. Downtown Kilgore
was the location of the “World’s Richest
Acre” with 24 producing oil wells on a 1.2acre site. Oil continues to be an important
part of the East Texas economy, now joined
by a more diversified industrial base.
The area is served by a number of excellent
school districts. Residents can also take advantage of higher education offered by the
University of Texas at Tyler, LeTourneau
University in Longview and Kilgore College.
A number of high quality medical facilities
provide services to the area. A number of
state parks and lakes provide numerous opportunities for recreational and sporting activities for residents.
The Organization:
The East Texas Council of Governments is a voluntary association of counties, cities, school districts and special districts
located within the fourteen-county East Texas region. The agency assists local governments in planning for common needs,
cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. Either directly, or through its contractors,
ETCOG provides programs and services for East Texas seniors, employers and job seekers. The agency builds the 9-1-1
emergency call delivery system, provides peace officer training and homeland security planning services; and delivers rural
transportation services, business finance programs, grant writing services and environmental grant funding for the region.
The ETCOG is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of elected officials representing the agency’s membership. Each
member of ETCOG has an opportunity to designate between one and three representatives to the ETCOG Board of Directors based on the type of membership and population size of the member city or county. The Board of Directors meets semi
-annually to discuss and vote on ETCOG business. The semi-annual board meetings are rotated consecutively among member counties. The Board annually appoints from its membership and Executive Committee that meets on a monthly basis to
establish council and regional policy. The day-to-day operations of the agency are directed by an Executive Director appointed by the Board. The current Executive Director is David Cleveland who has served in this position for nine years. The Executive Director appoints several directors to lead various programs including a Director of Transportation.
Vision Statement
We are a trustworthy organization committed to providing leadership, education,
and financial resources to our 14 county region.
Mission Statement
In order to improve the Quality of Life for all of our Citizens, ETCOG pledges
all of its resources to educate and assist its members to accomplish their goals.
Core Business Services
Coordinating comprehensive planning to improve the quality of life in East Texas through:
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Aging: advocating and supporting independence for seniors.
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GIS Services: providing mapping and technology tools for decisionmaking.
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Public Safety: providing grant guidance, technical assistance, first
responder equipment and training for public safety professionals.
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Transportation: providing mobility solutions through multi-modal
planning.
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Workforce Solutions: bringing valued employers to our region by
providing a skilled and ready workforce.
The Position:
The Director of Transportation position was established to direct the operations of ETCOG’s Transportation Division and
improve mobility for the citizens of the ETCOG region. A major responsibility for the Director is to oversee the Rural Planning Organization’s (RPO) facilitation and prioritization of the region’s transportation projects and to participate in meetings
of various transportation-related organizations. In addition, the Director of Transportation manages the ETCOG GoBus
system. The Director is a key member of the agency’s management team and participates in Board meetings, Executive Committee meetings, Director’s meetings and other internal meetings as well as representing the agency to regional and national
organizations. The Director directs the operations of a Division with 58 employees, 13 in the office and 45 full and part-time
drivers, and an annual budget that exceeds $4 million. The GoBus program operates a fleet of 40 busses. Grants already approved will provide funds for 22 new buses.
Personal Characteristics:
The ETCOG is seeking candidates with some or all of the following
knowledge, skills and abilities:
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Downtown Tyler
A strong transit background with a knowledge of rural demandresponsive and fixed route bus operations;
A track record of working effectively with key stakeholders including local government officials, senior citizens as well as state
and federal officials;
An approachable, friendly, open and collaborative management
style that encourages cooperation, communications and productivity within the department while maintaining appropriate levels
of accountability and discipline;
A track record of successful development of public/private partnerships and acquisition of grant funding.;
A great listener with outstanding written and oral communication skills and an ability to effectively represent the department and the
agency;
The ability to anticipate problems, identify alternative courses of action, prepare creative recommendations along with the ability to
defend and support those recommendations before the Board of Directors, member agency officials, advisory groups, state and federal officials and citizen;
An ability to relate to a diverse citizenry and build consensus around program recommendations;
Computer savvy with an understanding of transit support software such as Route Match and Trapeze;
Basic understanding of the uses of geographic information systems; and
A strong working knowledge of state and federal transportation grant programs including Section 5309, 5310, 5311 and 5339 programs.
Initial Priorities:
The Director of Transportation will assume direction of an organization committed to meeting the mobility needs of the citizens in the
region. The following areas have been identified as initial priorities by the Executive Director.
Development of Relationships with Stakeholders-ETCOG is committed to the development of high quality services meeting
the needs of citizens in the region. An initial priority for the Transportation Director will be the need to develop positive and trusting relationships with stakeholders in the region including local government officials, citizens and customers.
Staff Development-The Executive Director will expect the Director of Transportation to quickly become familiar with the operations and employees of the Transportation Department. He/She will be expected to evaluate operations and look for opportunities
to develop employees and improve operations.
Identify Opportunities for Service Development and
Expansion of the Department’s Limited ResourcesCurrent ETCOG transportation services are heavily dependent upon state and federal assistance. The Executive Director
is interested in identifying opportunities expand contract
services through collaborative relationships and wants to
expand local revenues to allow the programs to develop
stronger reserves and more sustainable funding. The New
Director should look for opportunities to build innovative
and creative partnerships with local organizations to meet
these goals.
Support GoBus Marketing Program-GoBus has begun a
program of developing branding for its services by the county in which the service is provided. The Director will be expected to become familiar with this program and develop
recommendations to strengthen this new marketing effort.
Minimum Qualifications:
Candidates for the position should have a Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Planning, Business Administration, Public
Administration or a related field of study. They should have a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience
in planning, directing, organizing, managing or administering a transportation agency with planning function required. Ten
years of experience is preferred. Professional service must include at least five years of direct supervisory or management
level transportation experience. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
Compensation and Benefits:
Starting salary is commensurate with expertise and education. The East Texas Council of Governments offers a highly competitive benefits package including Social Security and 401/457 ICMA Retirement Corporation programs (1:1 match up to
5%) in addition to medical and dental insurance for the employee; competitive insurance rates for the employee’s family; life
and AD&D insurance; short-term and long-term disability; vacation and sick leave; and longevity pay after five years of service.
Application and Selection Process:
The position is considered to be open until filled. The first review of resumes will be on February 22, 2016. To be considered for this position, please submit a statement of interest, résumé and current salary information to Chris Hartung Consulting, LLC by e-mail to [email protected]. For additional information about this position, please contact Chris Hartung at 817-715-9693.
Under the Texas Public Information Act, information from your résumé may be subject to release to the public at any time
during the process.
The East Texas Council of Governments is
an Equal Opportunity Employer and values
diversity at all levels of the workforce.
Tyler Rose Garden
East Texas Lake