An internal search has begun for a new chief operating officer (COO) at the Steamship Authority.
During the Steamship Authority board meeting on Tuesday, General Manager Robert Davis said several internal candidates had been interviewed for the COO position and he anticipates a decision will be made in the coming week.
“We had a number of individuals with a lot of strong strengths,” Davis said.
Former Steamship COO Mark Higgins, who was the first person hired for the position, resigned in November after he wasn’t guaranteed a promotion to the general manager seat.
Some members of the public pushed back on conducting a COO search before a new general manager was hired.
“That sounds really backwards to me,” Amy Cody, a founding member of the SSA Citizen’s Action Group, said.
Davis announced in September he would step down as general manager following heavy public criticism over how the ferry line was being run. In October, Davis and the Steamship Authority reached an agreement in which he would transition to an 18-month advisory role starting next November.
The ferry line has been undergoing a hiring process for a new general manger, and people have asked for a member of the public to be a part of the process as a search committee member. When some people expressed their disappointment that this wasn’t undertaken by the board on Tuesday, Martha’s Vineyard representative and search committee member Jim Malkin said “The board isn’t ready to deal with that issue at the moment but we’ll deal with it as soon as possible,” and did not elaborate further.
Meanwhile, Steamship Human Resources director Janice Kennefick said the ferry line is on track to being adequately staffed for the summer season. She said the vessel department, which includes captains and pilots, will be fully staffed with 270 employees, although the ferry line is short 12 workers in its engine department.
Still, Kennefick was hopeful that more workers will join the engine department.
“With the contract negotiations, the increase in the rates of pay have definitely piqued some interests so I’m hopeful we’ll have those filled,” she said.
Kennefick also pushed back on notions that the Steamship Authority has had trouble attracting mariner candidates, a concern that the Times has previously been told by ferry captains who cited working hours and pay issues.
“I simply don’t find that to be true,” she said.
Steamship officials said recruitment efforts will continue as they work through Coast Guard pilot licensing processes and retirements expected in the next few years.
“I’m sure … the board and the public will look forward to fewer cancellations due to crew shortages,” Malkin said.
The board also entered into an executive session to discuss “anticipated and ongoing negotiations” with the labor unions Teamsters Union Local 59, SEIU Local 888, and MEBA’s District No. 1PCD.
If the vessel department is ‘fully staffed,’ as SSA claim, they wouldn’t need to operate a reduced schedule for the second summer in a row. Right?
Right. If the Steamship reduces the schedule, then, when the vessels are running they will be fully staffed when running, Right? Some SSA backwards logic that works magic.
I’m still amazed that the CEO gets an 18 month contract to stay after the hire of his replacement. More fiscal irresponsible behavior by the SA. That is huge dollars, for what?
Sadly, the repreaentatives of the board are equally inept. This is why the SA is like MA DOT and the T. Failure through incompetence at the management level.
If this were not public dollars they would be benkrupt.
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