Members of the Dukes County Commission plan to pressure the Steamship Authority board to make management changes atop the administration in light of what they see as ongoing failures on the Island’s lifeline.
Commissioner chair Christine Todd said that she and at least one other commissioner is expected to attend a Steamship board meeting on Tuesday on Nantucket to call for the board to consider new leadership, suggesting that the ferry line has not progressed during general manager Bob Davis’ tenure.
“I’m hoping they can find another place for Davis in the organization,” Todd told The Times ahead of Tuesday’s meeting. “He just can’t be in that role. He’s clearly proven that he can’t manage it.”
Todd’s comments arrive with the ferry line facing increased pressure from the public to make changes, with a summer several cancellations due to mechanical failures and staff shortages. There has also been frustration among the community for delays to acquiring three new freight boats that ballooned in price and are still not running in the fleet. There are also frustrations with how the Steamship has managed a redesign of its website and the online reservation system.
Prior to comments from Todd, the Steamship board has met in multiple executive sessions to talk about the contract with Davis; they will do so again on Tuesday.
Todd said that she is planning to submit written testimony to the Steamship board as well, which she plans to share with the public after Tuesday’s meeting. She said that if Steamship board members don’t take her comments under consideration and make meaningful changes, she would gather wider support from the public to attend a Steamship board meeting scheduled for next month on the Vineyard.
“If I don’t see it going in the right direction,” Todd said. “I plan to beat the drum to gather support for October.”
Todd isn’t alone in calling for change. The Steamship board gave Davis extremely different ratings during his performance review a year ago. While Nantucket, Barnstable and New Bedford reps gave Davis high marks, Vineyard rep Jim Malkin and Falmouth rep. Peter Jeffrey each gave the general poor marks. No one gave Davis a failing grade on the Steamship’s Port Council, but the results weren’t very favorable either. Neither boards have given a review this year, although the Port Council had it on their agenda earlier this summer, but it was removed before the meeting.
Davis was named general manager in 2017, taking over from then general manager Wayne Lamson. Davis has been with the ferry line since 1986. Before the top position, he was the treasurer/comptroller. He started his career at the SSA as an auditor, and assumed the increasingly responsible positions of chief auditor/office manager in 1995, and assistant treasurer in 1997, before being promoted to treasurer/comptroller position in 2005.
The Dukes County Commissioners are the appointing authority for the Vineyard’s representation on the Steamship board.
Why does Davis, the highest-paid employee in the organization, deserve another SSA position? No other employee would get such an opportunity.
Because of the people we the people elected to be our County Commissioners.
Have we ever had a better SSA leader than Davis?
Was the Island better before the SSA was created?
Make the Island great again?
We applaud Chair Todd on her demand for change at SSA.
But there can be no substantive change if Bob Davis is given a lesser job. And it would be an insult to him and an obstacle to whomever is selected to lead SSA going forward. After 40+ years, many likely productive, he should have earned a substantial pension. If the Board feels he’s due a ‘parachute’ it WB less expensive in the bigger picture, than a demotion.
This is all up to Mr Ranney, the Nantucket rep. If he hangs tough the ‘swing reps’ Jones and Tierney are likely to hang with him. Hope Nantucket consensus convinces him. TBC
Nantucket effectively controls the SSA board. The weighted voting system gives the Vineyard governor, Jim Malkin, and the Nantucket governor, Bob Ranney, each 35% of the vote. The three main land towns, Falmouth, Barnstable, and New Bedford, each get 10%. New Bedford actually has no skin in the game since there is no SSA service that originates from there, but the New Bedford Governor, Tierney, has a house on Nantucket. Thus if Nantucket, Barnstable, and New Bedford, vote together, which they do, the Vineyard and Falmouth are SOL. The majority seems to have little understanding or sympathy for the Vineyard’s growing problems with the SSA management. Davis has repeatedly demonstrated his inability to manage the organization effectively, and the consequences have fallen disproportionately on the Vineyard. His contract should not be renewed, he should retire immediately, enjoy his retirement, and the SSA should seek proper leadership. If necessary, we should seek relief from the legislature, which could adjust the enabling legislation for the SSA to separate us from Nantucket.
The New Bedford based ferry uses the SSA facilities on the islands.
The SSA maintenance facility in on New Bedford harbor.
The SSA has a history of operating SSA boats out of New Bedford.
Tierney has a house in New Bedford.
Will splitting the SSA reduce costs?
Who should get which boats?
How should the voting percentage be done.
The art of the deal.
When Dick Thompson sold out the deal was that New Bedford would get a seat at the table.
The legislature insisted.
You want to seek relief from the state?
There is no question that the Steamship Authority numbers for Davis might work but the management of the Steamship Authority clearly does not work. It has not worked under his leadership since he began as GM and we the Island of Martha’s Vineyard, even the visitors that businesses count on have all suffered.
Unacceptable is the best I can come up with but any company would have made a change by now, the only reason the towns off island support Mr Davis is that when a boat does not run the people stranded spend money in Falmouth, New Bedford, Hyannis, and it is good for them not us.
Medical, is the top of dependability, but flights, is another, the list is very long and we need change ASAP.
Great the County Commissioners want to try but the State House with Petitions may be next.
I want to make sure I have this right.
Falmouth, New Bedford and Hyannis, vote to keep Davis in place because more boats will be cancelled.
Is Davis getting 10% of the stranded spend.
The County Commissioners are responsible for for the Board of Governors who are responsible for Davis.
The sky is not falling.
The SSA is as great as it has ever been.
It can be better.
it is unlikely.
Go to it Christine, it’s a dirty job, but you can do it. We’re all behind you.
Yay! Thank you County Commissioners for taking the lead, and really representing us! Keep us informed, I think most of us are ready to do whatever it takes to fix this crisis.
The County Commissioners gave us the Board of Governors who gave us Davis.
Yay . . .
Joanne, are you ready for a bridge to solve this crisis?
Mary, are ready for more cars?
Yes.
It would behoove the MV Times to do a deep dive into the stewardship of Robert Davis over his tenure, which would require analysis of various metrics of his successes and failures. These would include budgetary shortfalls, boat regularity, delays and cancellations, space and reservations, keeping up the phone apps, the website, and other forms of ticketing, the progress on the WH terminal, and so on. I think the MV Times journalists are very capable of such a task. Islanders need to be presented with the cold facts of this man’s job. By most sights, if he had been in the world of a private corporation, he would have been dropped like a hot potato for his (lack of) performance long ago. It’s not Boeing, but we’re in the ballpark.
I have been calling for Robert Davis’s ouster for several years, publicly and privately. It’s not personal. I want the island to have stable crossings which take those who live on the islands into account and to improve life for Islanders. The caveat with me is I’m a lot less interested in what can be done to make the lives of tourists easier and cheaper and happier. So take that for what you will. But I’m happy to see the realizations of others finally appear, unfortunately, the damage is done already and it’s unclear what else could be done by a replacement at this stage. He has really created a flotilla of problems to the tune of his salary which tops $200,000 annually. We deserve to get what we pay for and it’s time, at long last, to move on.
Tourists are the life blood of the islands.
Run of the mill School Superintendents s are now earning close to 200K
The SSA GM job is 7/24/365.25.
How does Davis’ salary compare to his industry peers?
You get more than you pay for.
Would the Island be better off if the SSA was dissolved?
Make it like it was when the Island was great?
Leave it to the whims of private enterprise?
Think Island Queen.
Malkin must go as well.
Just posted – he’s resigning – in October 2025.
That’s understandable. Somebody needs to be found to take over and that takes time. It’s not a stinking ship literally but definitely figuratively. Finding someone to take that on with all the emotions* involved (see these comments or “save our steamship authority” on Facebook for example) is not going to be easy.
So if he is resigning Oct 2025 does that mean we have another year of mismanagement? He should have the decency to step down.
His contract should not be honored?
Is that decent?
What makes you think the next one will be better?
IS Davis better than his predecessor?
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