The Steamship Authority has announced that another one of its top officials is stepping down.
Chief Operating Officer Mark Higgins, who joined the ferry line in April 2023, has accepted a position in Maine, after not being guaranteed the Steamship Authority general manager position.
Vineyard Steamship representative Jim Malkin said in a statement that Higgins took a job near his home, and that he “was unwilling to remain with the SSA as it goes through a careful professional search for a general manager to follow Bob Davis.”
Four days later, Malkin confirmed that Higgins had another job offer, and was willing to stay if he had been guaranteed the position of general manager.
Malkin said he and the Steamship board were committed to conducting the global search to find the best candidate possible. “It might have been him, it might have been someone else. But I was not prepared to not do a global search for the best possible candidate,” he said.
Higgins’ resignation follows a tumultuous few months at the Steamship that include the resignation of General Manager Bob Davis. Davis announced in September that he would be stepping down from his role in November 2025, before serving in an advisory capacity for another year. Steamship board members have announced they are planning an extensive, national search to find his replacement.
Higgins was the first to be appointed to the Steamship’s new COO role, a position charged with overseeing the Steamship’s marine and shoreside operations, the engineering department, and the operations and communication center.
In a statement, Davis thanked Higgins for his service. “On behalf of the entire organization, I want to thank Mark Higgins for his service to the Steamship Authority, and wish him well in his future endeavors,” Davis said. “I plan to discuss the vacancy with the board, and work with the members to determine a timeline for next steps regarding the position.”
Higgins was not reached for comment.
Davis never wanted the position to be filled the first time -when it was created.
Good move to get off the sinking ship before it takes him with it.
Does this mean Higgins was /is not a candidate to replace Davis? Or is it Higgens would not want the role if the prior CEO was still around and potentially second guessing or challenging decisions re change?
Steamship Authority upper management will be at the MV Film Center Tuesday November 19th 5:30PM – 7:30PM along with our appointed MV Board and Port Council representatives. This forum is for the general public to have questions and/or concerns addressed. Hoping for a good turnout!
Who will be left to hate?
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