A majority of the nine-member Memphis Area Transit Authority board tendered their resignations on Thursday, Aug. 28, after less than a year from being appointed by Mayor Paul Young.
The departures come after Young canceled a MATA board meeting to announce a pair of finalists for a permanent CEO, calling the pool “too narrow.” During the search, three of the initial six candidates withdrew from consideration.
Board members were informed by City Council officials that the interviews had been canceled. Instead, a trustee would be appointed until a new CEO is found. City Attorney Allan Wade confirmed the plan.
According to reporting by The Daily Memphian, the former board members felt disrespected by the cancellation, after spending months conducting a search for a new leader. According to MATA’s bylaws, it is the board’s “duty” to select a new CEO.
Young accepted the resignations of Vice Chair Anna McQuistan, Emily Greer, Sandi Clink, Brian Marflak and Jackson McNeil. An entire new board was appointed in October 2024, after the former team was dismissed.
“As we move forward, our priority remains to ensure safe and reliable transit for all our riders,” the administration said in a statement. “We will outline next steps soon, including those to provide stability and strengthen oversight.”
Meanwhile, the transit authority is currently without an acting CEO. The post was filled on an interim basis by John Lewis, of Tampa-based TransPro Consulting, beginning in late March. However, the city’s contract with the outfit ran out at the end of August.
Lewis told city council members on Aug. 5 that the board was close to selecting a new CEO. Two weeks later, the City Council approved an ordinance to create a “transit and mobility special revenue fund” for MATA. Councilman Chase Carlisle’s ordinance gives the council “full authority” over the “allocation, relocation and oversight” of the fund.
The council limited its funding of MATA in fiscal year 2026 to $30 million. The total was limited following years of budget overruns and accusations of mismanagement by previous leadership, particularly during the tenure of former CEO Gary Rosenfeld.
After his resignation on Feb. 1, 2024, Rosenfeld was replaced by interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin, who was fired at the end of March.
