Greanias touted as long term Metro head

Board chair Garcia approves

Jon Boyd, Aug 31, 10.

Metro’s board chair is touting George Greanias as the permanent head of the transit agency, according to a Chronicle story by Mike Snyder. Greanias is now the acting CEO and President of the the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

From the Chronicle story:

Metro’s board chairman said Tuesday he would urge his colleagues to appoint George Greanias, a former city official and management consultant who has led the transit agency on an interim basis for three months, as its permanent president and chief executive officer.

The comments by board chairman Gilbert Garcia came after Greanias outlined his plans for fundamental changes in the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s culture and values, making Metro more consumer-driven, collaborative and transparent.

The presentation, along with Greanias’ other work since he was named acting CEO in May, impressed Garcia and other board members.

“It’s extremely apparent to me that George is the best man for the job,” said Garcia, an investment firm executive appointed board chairman by Mayor Annise Parker early this year. He said Metro hadn’t engaged a professional head-hunting firm, but a few other candidates had been considered.

Like Mayor Annise Parker, Greanias served on Houston City Council and as City of Houston Controller. Both are graduates of Rice University. Mayor Parker tapped Greanias to Chair her Metro transition team in January, and said she chose him for his, “grounding in financial and political and inter-agency relationships.”

Greanias took over the reins from outgoing Metro CEO Frank Wilson in May, as reported in the Houston Chronicle and Houston Tomorrow (via Off the Kuff). Houston Tomorrow and Off the Kuff also referred to a 1997 Houston Press cover story on Greanias, and his battles with City of Houston Mayor, Bob Lanier. One of these concerned the $55 million in annual general mobility payments from Metro to the City of Houston, and another was his commitment to rail projects.

Houston Tomorrow reported in May on an interview with KUHF, “I think, in addition to (his transit experience), what the Board was looking for was someone who could take the transit experience that exists within the agency and add to that management experience that could make sure we get the best possible results from all the assets, the considerable assets, that METRO has and that the community contributes through its taxes.”

Update: Mike Snyder wrote a feature on Greanias published in the Sunday Houston Chronicle:

He’s new to the transit industry, but George Greanias has been a transportation policy wonk for a long time.

His involvement began when he wrote a letter to a newspaper editor protesting the planned relocation of a trolley transfer station in his hometown of Decatur, Ill. He was 11.

“I should have known I would end up doing something in public life, because I was already mucking around with it as a kid,” Greanias said.

Today, this 62-year-old former management consultant, elected official, mayoral candidate, lawyer, college professor and playwright is poised to become the chief executive of one of the nation’s largest transit systems.

Greanias has led the Metropolitan Transit Authority on an interim basis since May, and board chairman Gilbert Garcia said Greanias is the best choice for the permanent job. Greanias enjoys strong support among other board members, as well.

The appointment would put him at the helm of an agency facing serious budget constraints — one expert described Metro as “leveraged to the hilt” — and struggling to convince a sometimes skeptical public that spending billions of dollars to expand Houston’s light-rail network is a sound investment.

Supporters said Greanias’ management expertise, deep roots in Houston and skill at interacting with the public make him a good choice to meet these challenges.

“Greanias is the right person to help convince Houstonians that they can’t solve their transportation problems solely by continuing to build highways,” said Anthony Hall, a former Metro board chairman who served on the City Council with him in the 1980s.

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