By Eric Curl
June 8, 2024 – A familiar name will be stepping in to head the local public transportation system, following a similar path with the city of Savannah.
During a special called meeting Thursday, the Chatham Area Transit Authority appointed CAT Chief Financial Officer Stephanie Cutter as interim CEO and executive director following the resignation of Faye DiMassimo, who had held the position since February 2022.
Cutter was hired as CAT’s CFO in April 2021 after a 29-year career with the city of Savannah, where she started as a budget analyst before rising through the ranks to become the city manager in 2013.
The CAT board approved Cutter’s hiring agreement for the interim CEO position after meeting for almost 1.5 hours during a closed-door executive session.
The agreement states Cutter will serve in the role while CAT engages in a search for a permanent CEO, for which she will be considered a candidate if she chooses. Under the agreement, Cutter will be paid a prorated annual salary of $230,000 and be eligible for a monthly bonus of $2,500 up to a maximum of $10,000.
Cutter’s duties will be “commensurate with those of a chief executive officer of a transit authority of comparable size,” and within 30 days Cutter will be provided with a written job description and statement of goals and objectives, the agreement states.
Cutter is also to notify the board in writing prior to implementing all “Major Decisions”, which involve:
- the setting of strategic direction of the Authority;
- monetary expenditures of over $10,000;
- the hiring of employees at the chief or department head level;
- risk management decisions that could result in significant liability to the authority
There was little discussion of Cutter’s appointment during the public portion of the meeting. After being congratulated by some board members, Cutter said that it was her “pleasure to serve.”
Cutter’s professional background includes research and analysis, budgeting, accounting, and program and financial management. Upon her retirement from the city in 2016, Cutter was credited with helping to transition the city out of a challenging period that had resulted in the previous city manager’s resignation.
DiMassimo submitted her resignation notice in early May after joining CAT as CEO in 2022. During her time with the agency, DiMassimo helped bring CAT back from the COVID-19 pandemic by adding new fixed routes and paratransit buses, balancing the budget while building CAT’s reserves, and improving the rider experience, according to a statement issued by Board Chairman Deidrick Cody.
DiMassimo resigned to serve as Savannah’s Chief of Planning and Economic Development, a newly created position that oversees Development Services; Economic Development; Mobility and Parking Services; Planning and Urban Design; Special Events, Film & Tourism; Sustainability; and Transportation Services, according to a city press release. She was CAT’s 10th CEO since 2005, as reported by the Savannah Morning News.
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