WOODS HOLE --- Robert Davis was named to be the next general manager of the Steamship Authority Monday afternoon.
At a special meeting held in Woods Hole, boat line governors voted unanimously to approve Mr. Davis to replace general manager Wayne Lamson, who is retiring next June. The vote followed a brief public interview with Mr. Davis covering a variety of topics.
Mr. Davis has served as boat line treasurer since 2005. He has worked at the SSA since 1986, joining as an auditor and later becoming chief auditor, officer manager and assistant treasurer. He was named treasurer/comptroller when Mr. Lamson was named general manager.
“My constituents have a real aversion to rate increases,” Vineyard governor Marc Hanover said during the interview. “I’m very concerned about our financial situation. I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on how to avoid large rate increases in the future.”
Mr. Davis replied: “One of the worst things I had to do was go before the board and say we need a rate increase. We’ve been taking measures to keep those rate increases to a minimum.”
He pledged to continue Mr. Lamson’s steady track record.
“With Wayne being the general manager for the past 12 years, there has been a foundation that has been laid in terms of incremental changes and improvement,” he said. “I wouldn’t expect a big change from what you’ve been experiencing. I would want to come in here and shake everything up.”
He also cited his participation in planning the $74 million Woods Hole terminal and administration building projects.
“That project is one of the biggest projects we’ve every undertaken,” Mr. Davis said. “We need to be able to keep an eye on the finish line. From being inside, knowing what we’ve gone through, the conceptual design, the plans to move the administration office, and how the staging of this project is going to go, there’s an advantage to having somebody in house.”
Mr. Lamson retires June 30, 2017, after a 48-year career at the boat line, the last 12 as general manager.
Boat line governors decided late this summer to not search outside the organization, opting instead to accept applications from internal candidates as the first step. A search committee reviewed candidates in September, and recommended unanimously that the board consider Mr. Davis for the appointment.
“We believe Bob Davis will continue that track record and that his institutional knowledge will prove invaluable,” Falmouth governor and board chairman Betsy Gladfelter said in a press release that went out Monday afternoon.
The decision is pending successful contract negotiations.
A search will begin for Mr. Davis’s replacement.
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