The Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission is seeking an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION The Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) is a multi-jurisdictional agency that represents the Northern Virginia communities of Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties as well as the Cities of Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg. In a region of increasing population and economic growth, PRTC s primary goal is to provide safe, reliable and flexible transportation options while helping to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in one of the nation s most congested areas. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge, Virginia about 25 miles southwest of Washington, DC. PRTC is focused on providing commuter bus service along the Interstate 95 and Interstate 66 corridor areas, some of the busiest travel routes in the country; as well as providing local bus service in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park. The agency also offers a free ridesharing service and oversees the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), a commuter rail service along established Manassas and Fredericksburg rail lines which connects transit providers at stations in northern Virginia and Washington, DC, in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). Membership in PRTC allows member local governments to collect a 2.1% Motor Fuels Tax which is used for system support and transportation improvements in the region. Initially established in 1986 to create and oversee the VRE commuter rail service, PRTC eventually assumed responsibility for implementation of bus service at the request of its member governments. Today, PRTC has responsibility for a diverse and dynamic service area and a fleet that carries more than 13,000 riders daily and over 2.8 million passengers per year. Looking to the future, PRTC is committed to long-range planning in an effort to meet the growing transportation needs of its community members and is concentrating on the community s future need for transit and transportation demand management (TDM) services, innovative technology opportunities and on identifying financial resources to ensure the Commission s continued sustainability and growth.
The Commission PRTC Commissioners serve as the agency s governing body. Comprised of 17 members, 13 are locally elected officials from PRTC s six member jurisdictions, three are appointed from the General Assembly (one Senator and two Delegates) and one represents the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). The breakdown of Commissioners from member localities is as follows: Locality Commissioners City of Fredericksburg 1 City of Manassas 1 City of Manassas Park 1 Prince William County 6 Spotsylvania County 2 Stafford County 2 The Commission is responsible for hiring the agency s Executive Director; approving PRTC s annual budget; enacting policies and procedures; and setting the direction, goals and focus of the organization. For Fiscal Year 2017, PRTC is operating with a budget of $34.5 million and employs an in-house staff of 50 individuals who manage specific functions including planning, dispatching, customer service, finance, contract management, capital project development and procurement. A BRIEF HISTORY OF PRTC 1986: PRTC is created to establish commuter rail service Early 1990s: PRTC plans for the VRE; launches OmniRide and OmniLink bus service in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park Late 1990s: Cross County Connector and Prince William Metro Direct established; OmniRide Services expanded during Mixing Bowl construction 2000: OmniLink ridership doubles when service hours are extended; daily ridership surpasses 5,000 overall; VRE ridership hits 10,000 average daily riders 2007-2008: bicycle racks added to all local and Metro Direct buses; VRE, OmniLink and OmniRide expand services; SmarTrip cards begin being accepted 2009: PRTC begins operating Tysons Express, a direct service between Woodbridge and Tysons Corner; 2010: PRTC and VRE welcome Spotsylvania County as a new member 2011: PRTC introduces electronic passes for riders 2015: VRE ridership sets all-time record with 23,309 trips and 4.4 million passengers carried in Fiscal Year 2016 2016: PRTC s fleet is comprised of more than 160 buses; plans are underway for a new maintenance facility in Prince William County; a new route from Gainesville to the Pentagon is anticipated later this year DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES OFFERED Commuter Bus OmniRide is PRTC s commuter bus service. OmniRide offers convenient weekday service from locations throughout Prince William County to destinations that include the Mark Center, Pentagon, Crystal City, Rosslyn/Ballston, Tysons Corner, downtown Washington, DC and the Washington Navy Yard. OmniRide also offers midday service and serve designated commuter lots near major thoroughfares. Metro Direct Metro Direct buses provide weekday connecting service to nearby Franconia-Springfield and Tysons Corner Metrorail stations. Metro Direct is an ideal option for day trips into Northern Virginia and
Washington, DC and is a great fit for commuters with a non-traditional work schedule. Metro Direct offers service through Prince William, Manassas and Linton Hall. Opportunities & Challenges Shortage of Local Funding PRTC s member jurisdictions are faced with a diminished fuel tax reserve fund and with declining fuel prices and resulting fuel tax yields down, the new Executive Director will be facing the challenge of proposing a plan for major adjustments in service, presiding over the necessary public review and executing the plan. Finalize Implementation of Financial Management System PRTC management has been in the process of implementing a new financial management system for the organization, an innovative technological opportunity for the organization. The new Executive Director will be charged with fully implementing the system and bringing the project to successful completion. Succession Planning and Staff Development Many of PRTC s senior management team members are long-standing employees who will be retiring in the coming years. The incoming Executive Director will need to prepare for this and work to develop existing staff to have successors in place through developing sound succession planning efforts going forward. OmniLink OmniLink serves as PRTC s local bus service in eastern Prince William County and the Manassas area. OmniLink was designed to meet the transportation needs of the entire community. Unlike a traditional bus service that operates only along a designated route, with advanced notice OmniLink buses can be re-routed to serve locations up to 3/4 mile off the route when there is time available in the schedule. OmniLink operates in the Manassas and Manassas Park areas Monday through Friday and serve Dale City, Dumfries, Quantico, Route 1 and Woodbridge in eastern Prince William County. Cross County Connector These buses connect eastern Prince William County and the Manassas area via the Prince William Parkway. Cross County Connector buses provide access to Prince William County offices and major shopping locations. Ridesharing OmniMatch is a free, personalized ridematching service for carpoolers and vanpoolers. This system uses a regional database to link commuters who have similar work hours, origination and destination points. There are OmniMatch carpools and vanpools originating from commuter lots within the Prince William and Manassas area with destinations throughout Northern Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland. JOINT VENTURE: NVTC, PRTC AND VRE The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a joint project of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and PRTC that provides convenient and reliable rail passenger service to customers as a vital component of regional transportation in the northern Virginia area. VRE is paid for by member jurisdictions through a weighted formula based on jurisdiction ridership and residence. The PRTC Executive Director is expected to work with his or her counterparts at VRE and NVTC to ensure integrated transit services in the region.
Minimum Requirements A bachelor s degree in transportation planning, public administration, business administration or related field; with a master s degree highly desired. Minimum of eight years experience working with and serving public/elected officials in a transportation or government agency. Prior work experience in strategic planning and transportation policy with knowledge of federal and state funding programs, regulations and policies. Well-developed, collaborative management style with a desire to foster teamwork and address and resolve conflicts as they arise. Strong financial skills working with a budget of comparable size and complexity. Desired Capabilities & Traits Excellent communication skills with the ability to connect with all levels of professionals to include front-line staff, customers and elected and appointed officials. Self-confident with a collegial style and uncompromising ethical standards. Committed public servant with a desire to make a positive impact on the PRTC and its mission. Demonstrated leadership skills, inspirational abilities and emphasis on teambuilding in the workplace. Customer-focused, creative thinker who is open to collaboration, partnerships and discussing successes and failures openly and in a transparent fashion. Creative and visionary in working with the Commission with an eye to tying various modes of transportation together with PRTC. Ability to make presentations to staff, elected officials, commissions, agencies, member jurisdictions and the public. Politically astute with experience working with public officials at the local, state and federal level. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR S POSITION The Executive Director operates under the direction of the Commission and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of PRTC, its daily contracted bus services and the management of in-house staff responsible for oversight of the bus contractor and the delivery of other services which are not contracted out. The Executive Director serves as the leader in charge of PRTC s day to day operations, advises the Commission on matters warranting their attention and executes the Commission s policy direction. Major duties and responsibilities for the position include: Establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships between PRTC and its federal/state/local partners, contractors, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and neighboring public transit providers. Leading in-house staff which include finance and administration, contract management, planning, policy analysis, procurement, capital project administration, marketing, customer service, dispatching, information technology and legislative advocacy. Assisting Commission member jurisdictions in their oversight of the Virginia Railway Express, which has its own CEO that reports directly to PRTC and NVTC. Establishing an effective working relationship with the Commission members; working with the PRTC Chairman to establish the Commission agenda and coordinating with the VRE CEO and NVTC Executive Director as necessary. Preparing and implementing PRTC s annual capital and operating budgets, leading public review efforts when required and managing the development of the agency s financial plans on an on-going basis. Monitoring expenditures within approved PRTC budgets; maintaining accurate financial records and accounts; and ensuring compliance with all applicable statutes, regulations and contractual terms of grants and federal/state/local appropriations. Overseeing the management of PRTC s bus operations and maintenance contractor, ensuring the contractor s performance as required; managing related contracts and contractors that provide general engineering, landscaping, trash, information technology and communication services. Overseeing periodic adjustments to PRTC service as required to account for changing conditions (ridership levels, traffic levels, changing development patterns, policy changes). Developing and maintaining current contingency plans which deal with service disruptions. Effectively leading PRTC staff; hiring staff as authorized by the Commission; and motivating staff to perform effectively.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS The salary for the position is negotiable dependent upon candidate education and experience and is aligned with the cost-of-living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Benefits include but are not limited to participation in the Virginia Retirement System, vacation and sick leave, group life insurance, medical and dental insurance, professional dues and conference expenses. APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS The application deadline is December 3, 2016. To be considered, please submit you cover letter, resume and list of five professional references online at: https://waterscompany.recruitmenthome.com/postings/1158. Following the filing date, applications will be screened by Waters & Company based on the criteria established by agency. The PRTC Search Committee will review recommended candidates who most closely meet the established criteria. For more information, please contact us at richmond@waters-company.com. For more information about PRTC, please see their website at: http://www.prtctransit.org/. The Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 9097 Atlee Station Road Suite 100 Mechanicsville, VA 23116 Phone: 804.726.9748 Fax: 804.277.3435 Springsted Incorporated 380 Jackson Street Suite 300 Saint Paul, MN 55101 Phone: 651.223.3000 Fax: 651.223.3002