SEPTA Board appoints Leslie Richards as GM

[mcgrath618]

PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards to lead SEPTA

It’s official: PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards will be the new general manager of SEPTA starting January 2020.
The 15-member board unanimously to appoint Richards, the first planner to lead SEPTA, during their November board meeting, ushering in a new era of leadership for the authority, as she replaces outgoing general manager Jeffrey Knueppel in January 2020.
“SEPTA is critical to the vitality of the Philadelphia region, and to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a whole,” said Richards, a former board member, in a press release. “I am honored to be selected as the next General Manager, and look forward to working with SEPTA employees, riders, residents, and other stakeholders to ensure we meet the region’s transportation needs now and for years to come.”

https://whyy.org/articles/penndot-secre ... ame=iossmf

[NorthPennLimited]

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[NorthPennLimited]

HARDLY AN OUTSIDER TO SEPTA, ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA, HER POLITICAL AND PROFESSIONAL RESUME IS AS FOLLOWS:

Richards was elected to the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors in 2007, and became chairwoman of the board in 2008.[3]

Richards was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in 2011. Her election, along with that of fellow Democrat Josh Shapiro, marked the first time in over a century that Democrats controlled the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.[4] Richards served as Montgomery County's representative on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.[5] Richards also serves on the board of SEPTA.[6]

Pennsylvania political operatives had mentioned Richards as a potential Congressional candidate in Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district.[7] Richards declined to run for the seat after incumbent Congressman Jim Gerlach retired in 2014.[8]

In 2015, following the election of Democratic Governor Tom Wolf, Richards was nominated to serve as Secretary of Transportation of Pennsylvania. She was subsequently confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in May 2015.[1]

In 2017, Richards was appointed the first female chair of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission as well as the Public Private Partnership (P3) Board.[9]

On November 21st, 2019, Richards was named as SEPTA's new General Manager, replacing the outgoing Jeff Knueppel in January 2020.[10]

[JeffK]

Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but on the surface it sounds as if she’s trying to take a broader view of SEPTA's functions as part of the overall transportation network. On one hand I’m a bit concerned about her not having a technical background. However if she’s able to bring together and coordinate people who do it may be less of an issue.

I also realize she’s just starting but her gentle comments re the Key give me pause. It’s one thing to talk about teething pains, but when teeth are coming in sideways and backwards you order dental surgery, not buy more biscuits.