The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors voted unanimously to extend the contract of General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker for three years, through 2026.
Parker joined MARTA as general manager and CEO in March 2018 with a contract that expired in 2023. The new decision extends the contract to June 2026.
“(Parker) has earned this extension, especially for his steady leadership during the pandemic and all its challenges,” said MARTA Board Chairwoman Freda Hardage. “His work negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement and the passage of the 15th amendment in our four jurisdictions are among several accomplishments during his tenure.”
Under Parker’s leadership, MARTA balanced its budget for a ninth consecutive year, and unlike many peer agencies, has been able to provide essential transit service during the pandemic without any layoffs or fare hikes.
Parker has also worked closely with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 732 to negotiate a new contract that includes raises for bus and rail operators and to ensure front line workers are receiving additional support, financial and otherwise, during the pandemic.
Additionally, Parker was at the helm for a successful Super Bowl LIII, when MARTA transported a half-million football fans.
And his steady leadership was instrumental in the extension of the penny sales tax through 2057 in the City of Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties.
“I am grateful to the Board for their continued support and faith in my ability,” Parker said. “We have accomplished a lot together in two years and I am excited to improve upon that record with our expansion plans and our renewed focus on the customer experience, as well as navigating the post-pandemic world of public transit.”
Under his contract, Parker was eligible for a raise and bonus of up to 10 percent of his base salary but expressed to the board that both seemed inappropriate this year.
