Jorge Figueredo out at NTTA (PERSONNEL)

After less than a year and a half as executive director of North Texas Tollway Authority, Jorge Figueredo has resigned, effective immediately. There's no public hint of any job-related cause for the separation. Figueredo is quoted as explaining to the board of directors: "The difficulties of being separated from my family in Florida have been more of a burden than I ever anticipated."

Figueredo's family stayed in Orlando Florida where he had worked in senior positions at Orlando Orange County (Toll) Expressway Authority, then at PBS&J which provides many staff and consultants under contract to OOCEA and Florida's Turnpike.

NTTA is presently a chairman-dominant toll authority with Chairman Paul N Wagerman the public persona of the NTTA, beside whom Jorge Figueredo was a subsidiary figure. Contrast this with the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a CEO-dominant authority where the  the personification of the Turnpike is CEO Joe Brimmeier, and the chairman is... (look him up) one Mitchell Rubin - never heard from, never interviewed, never quoted.

NTTA chairman Wagerman is quoted in the announcement as paying tribute to Figueredo: "The NTTA and the region it serves ha(ve) benefitted enormously from Jorge’s leadership.  The NTTA board is grateful for his service."

The announcement also says:

"During his tenure, Figueredo oversaw successful negotiations on State Highway (SH) 161 with the Texas Department of Transportation resulting in NTTA exercising primacy, the long-term financing of SH 121 amid the most turbulent credit market in memory, groundbreaking of the Eastern Extension of the President George Bush Turnpike, formation of the Program Management Office at the NTTA, and other major initiatives during a period of tremendous growth for the agency."

Figueredo replaced Allan Rutter who had fallen out with Wagerman and resigned Feb 14 2007 after a similarly short time.

NTTA today named the recently appointed chief financial officer (CFO) Janice Davis as acting executive director "until a permanent replacement is found."  Davis comes from Atlanta city government where she was also CFO.  Susan Buse longtime CFO is now assistant executive director for project evaluation, and also treasurer.

The announcement says that the current deputy executive director Rick Harrington will continue in his position.

Wagerman is also quoted: "Janice (Davis) and Rick (Harrington) will bring continuity to the authority as they lead the organization during the interim.”

On Figueredo's appointment in July 2007:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3038

TOLLROADSnews 2008-12-05