Who is acting CTA President Dorval Carter?
The CTA tells us about the new acting president for the agency in this press release. (This is a straight-up copy-and-paste job from the release. This is updated with the photo of Carter.)
Chicago Transit Board Appoints Acting President
Experienced Executive to Provide Stability and Continuity During Transition
The Chicago Transit Board today (Jan. 30, 2009) appointed Dorval R. Carter Jr. to serve as Acting President of the CTA. Most recently, Carter has served as the CTA’s Executive Vice President for Operations Support and has been responsible for directing the planning and operations functions for multiple departments including Human Resources, Purchasing, Public Affairs, Government and Community Relations and Finance.
Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown said that because of Carter’s extensive transit experience and familiarity with CTA issues, his appointment will ensure a smooth transition period until a new CTA President is named. “Dorval is a seasoned professional and experienced manager who understands the CTA and the challenges it faces. He is well respected by the Board and his colleagues within the CTA, and through his many years in the transportation field, he has established strong working relationships with the RTA, FTA, our unions and sister agencies.”
Prior to joining the CTA in 2000, Carter spent 10 years at the Federal Transit Administration where he was Assistant Chief Counsel for Legislation and Regulation and managed the office responsible for preparing and directing the federal legislative and regulatory agenda for the FTA. Before moving to Washington, DC, he was the Regional Counsel of the FTA Region 5 office in Chicago and responsible for all legal issues affecting FTA’s $650,000,000 annual federal transportation program in a six-state region.
Carter has previously served as a member of the FTA’s Procurement Council and is a Senior Fellow on the Council for Excellence in Government. He is also a member of the Transportation Research Board where he serves on the Group 4 Legal Council, the Committee on Transit and Intermodal Transportation Law, and the Transit Cooperative Research Program.
Carter began his career with the Chicago Transit Authority as a staff attorney where he held various positions including General Attorney and Deputy General Attorney for Corporate Law.
Carter received his Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
He is a member of the Board of Directors for City Year Chicago, a national youth service organization and a member of the Board of Saint Anthony Hospital in Chicago.
CTA President Ron Huberman resigned this week to accept a position as Chief Executive of the Chicago Public Schools.
Here is a picture of him
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/graphics/cityroom/amp_071015_mpc254_large.png
He is the second from the left.
Posted by: Scott | February 01, 2009 at 04:20 PM
Just what the CTA doesn't need running it, a lawyer!
Posted by: Unindicted Co-Conspirator | February 01, 2009 at 10:23 PM
UC-C, who exactly do you WANT to see as CTA Pres (besides yourself of course)? Please enlighten us, because I assumed that someone with actual transit experience at both the CTA and FTA might be a good candidate...but then again, we are in Chicago.
Who do YOU want to take Carter's place as permanent president? Blago?
Posted by: Sarah | February 02, 2009 at 08:26 AM
Best of luck to him.
Posted by: chris | February 02, 2009 at 09:04 AM
He looks just like that guy who talks to himself on the 145. He's always going on and on about how nobody gets to tell him what to do.
Posted by: Cheryl | February 02, 2009 at 10:22 AM
"He's always going on and on about how nobody gets to tell him what to do."
Maybe that's why Mr. Carter has let it be known he's not interested pursuing a permanent appointment to the position of CTA President. He knows there would ALWAYS be someone telling him what to do. :P
Posted by: Martha | February 02, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Lawyers should never run anything!
Their mindset is wrong.
The only person worse than a lawyer is a bean counter!
You want a successful manager at the CTA.
And I doubt if there's anyone there to promote.
They need to go outside & find somebody that has a background in some sort of transportation.
Southwest Airlines would be a good starting place to hire from.
Posted by: Unindicted Co-Conspirator | February 02, 2009 at 10:56 AM
UCC, what part of this don't you understand?
"Prior to joining the CTA in 2000, Carter spent 10 years at the Federal Transit Administration where he was Assistant Chief Counsel for Legislation and Regulation and managed the office responsible for preparing and directing the federal legislative and regulatory agenda for the FTA. Before moving to Washington, DC, he was the Regional Counsel of the FTA Region 5 office in Chicago and responsible for all legal issues affecting FTA’s $650,000,000 annual federal transportation program in a six-state region.
Carter has previously served as a member of the FTA’s Procurement Council and is a Senior Fellow on the Council for Excellence in Government. He is also a member of the Transportation Research Board where he serves on the Group 4 Legal Council, the Committee on Transit and Intermodal Transportation Law, and the Transit Cooperative Research Program."
That looks like experience in some sort of transportation to me.
Posted by: Cheryl | February 02, 2009 at 03:17 PM
UCC has a point about Southwest Airlines. I always felt they were misclassified as a "discount airline". The real reason for their success is they look at everything from the point of view of the customer/passenger, and it shows. That corporate culture really should be cloned.
Posted by: C C Writer | February 02, 2009 at 05:03 PM
Cheryl: Reread your post!
He's a lawyer!
He has no real transportation experience.
He would do the same thing at any other company or agency!
He doesn't know a damned thing about running a railroad or bus service.
You posted his CV, it's all one thing!
He just know regulations!
Nothing else, just the regs!
As for Southwest Air.
When things get backed up there, everyone that works there helps out.
Too much luggage at once.
Execs come out of their offices & load or unload it.
They'll clean up the plane.
Whatever it takes, they do it.
That's what's needed at the CTA.
How many times have you gotten on a bus & one or both of the seats is up because there was a wheelchair or stroller put there.
Does the driver get up off of his ass to lower it?
Hell no!
They're too good for that demeaning task, even though the old ladies can't figure out how to do it & even I have trouble some times because there are several different types of seats & not all have a simple sign as to how you do lower it!
Posted by: Unindicted Co-Conspirator | February 03, 2009 at 03:42 AM