Overview
- The RTA board unanimously accepted Hankins’ resignation Tuesday and appointed procurement director Ronald Baptiste as interim CEO to lead daily operations.
- The board voted earlier this month to void a quietly amended employment contract for Hankins and then entered negotiations that the board says collapsed before her exit.
- Hankins’ attorney says she submitted a near-$21,000 check to cover excess car allowance payments and that she considers her departure a constructive discharge, signaling plans to pursue litigation.
- The board has hired KL2 Connects to run a national search for a permanent CEO with a goal of filling the post in about four months while the agency emphasizes continuity of service.
- Hankins’ three-year tenure included higher bus ridership and nearly $197 million in competitive federal grants since 2019, but it was also marked by contracting and personnel controversies that drew board turnover and federal inquiry, which could affect service and grant oversight going forward.