The man who was leading the search for MARTA’s next general manager and CEO has taken a job at another company, raising questions about how the search will proceed.
Members of MARTA’s Board of Directors had been meeting monthly with Zack Deming, a managing director at DSG Global, the executive search firm hired to lead the search. But Deming left DSG earlier this month, according to a LinkedIn post.
It’s not clear when MARTA learned of his departure. Board Chairwoman Jennifer Ide, who also leads the search committee, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. DSG officials did not respond to questions, either.
A MARTA spokesperson said the search will proceed.
“MARTA Board Chair Jennifer Ide has spoken to DSG leadership and she and members of the GM/CEO search committee will continue to work with the firm as the search continues,” Stephany Fisher said in an email.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Kevin Kelly, a managing director in DSG’s Atlanta office, will help with the search now, Fisher said.
The search for a new leader for the regional transit authority is widely seen as one of the most consequential duties facing the board, a point that was reiterated last week when a group advising MARTA made recommendations.
“The single most important thing you will do in the next several months is select the new GM, and that cannot be understated,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, a member of the advisory group and the President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “The region is looking to all of you to make this decision.”
MARTA hired DSG Global in August for $150,000, according to a copy of the contract obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act. Ide has said previously that they picked the firm because of its experience leading searches beyond the transportation industry. She said the board didn’t want to limit itself to candidates with a transit background.
Deming has met with the search committee during two meetings in October and November. Most of the discussion has been behind closed doors, with the committee voting to go into executive session to discuss personnel matters privately, which is allowed under the state’s open meetings law.
At the November meeting, Deming said he had a list of 213 potential candidates that had been compiled primarily through outreach efforts. The job has not been posted, although he told the board it could be if they desired.
The list also includes candidates passed along to DSG by MARTA officials.
“We’ve just been in active market outreach in accordance with some of the search strategies that we’ve talked about and what we all thought were logical and viable candidate pools,” he said.
Outreach was targeted to transportation industry executives, Fortune 1000 firms, industry associations and other governmental agencies, according to the contract.
DSG is expected to give the search committee a list of five to 10 candidates for final consideration.
It’s unclear who else at DSG has been involved in the MARTA search and how easily its staff can transition to keep the process on track. Ide has said previously the board would like to find a permanent chief by next summer’s FIFA World Cup games.
The search has already been delayed, and this month marks the fifth since Greenwood’s sudden resignation.
The search committee’s kickoff meeting was pushed back after members failed to give public notice of the meeting as required under the state’s open meetings act. MARTA officials canceled the September meeting just minutes before it was set to start after receiving questions about the lack of notice from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The last search committee meeting was Nov. 13. The next meeting has not been scheduled, MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher said.
Kirkpatrick told the board last week to take their time to get the right person. She and other members of the advisory board did not respond to requests for comment on the news of Deming’s departure, but they have previously expressed confidence in interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt’s leadership.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Hunt, who has said he does not want the top position permanently, has won praise from business and civic leaders for his hands-on approach. Hunt told the AJC’s editorial board earlier this week that he will continue to work on repairing the transit agency’s image in the region for as long as he is interim CEO.
“I think there’s lots of opportunities for us to deliver on a project, build more trust and deliver on another project,” Hunt said.
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