COTA promotes veteran employee, gives him shot at top job
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 03:06 AM
By Jason Shough
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCHCOTA has promoted a long-time employee who is getting a tryout as successor to outgoing president and CEO Bill Lhota.
Yesterday, the Central Ohio Transit Authority announced that Curtis Stitt will fill the new position of senior vice president and chief operating officer.
The temporary position will be used to train Stitt to succeed Lhota, who is retiring in June 2012, said Beth Berkemer, a COTA spokeswoman.
Stitt will work directly with Lhota to learn the ins and outs of running the transit company, which has an annual operating budget of $96.2 million for fiscal year 2011.
Lhota said the COTA board chose Stitt from a number of internal applicants.
“I have a great admiration and appreciation for Curtis and his abilities,” Lhota said.
He said the board will evaluate Stitt’s performance at the end of the year and decide whether he’s the best replacement for Lhota or whether COTA needs to consider external candidates for the top job.
Stitt, 57, has been a lawyer at COTA since 1999, when he was hired as a legislative counsel. In 2005, he was promoted to vice president and general counsel.
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Congratulations to Mr. Stitt who hopefully will see to it that directions for COTA customers connecting Port Columbus Airport to downtown via the #6 Mt Vernon at the sheltered and secure VA clinic stop on James Rd can be slipped into the existing and empty information board frame at the airport street level shelter. A simple act of minimal expense could go a long way towards re-establishing personal mobility, and ending Columbus transit subservience to airport parking profitability.