Wageman out as NTTA chairman (PERSONNEL)

Paul Wageman the dominant figure at North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) for the past several years is suddenly out. He was a member of the board of NTTA via his nomination as a delegate of Collin County, one of the local governments that govern NTTA.

This week Collin County council (in Texan lingo a "Commissioners' Court") voted five to zero to replace Wageman as their delegate with an unknown to tolling, Jane Willard.

Zero is not a vote of confidence!

Loved or hated

Wageman elicited strong feelings both for and against.

In his favor he was credited with being energetic and passionate in support of developing the toll road network of the Dallas metro area. During his four years as chairman there was great progress in developing the pikes. They pushed ahead with extensions of the Dallas North and Pres Geo Bush pike while opening the new Sam Rayburn Tollway.

And under Wageman an amazing array of new toll projects are under development - in study or being permitted.

see the map nearby

All-electronic tolling has been implemented across two of the three major toll facilities under Wageman and AET conversion proceeds on the third (DNT).

On the negative side Wageman was hell for NTTA CEOs and other senior staff treating them as his personal errand boys. He should have been combined chairman & CEO he got so involved in NTTA administration.

He is also notoriously erratic, taking one position one meeting and the opposite the next.

Typical was the way Wageman joined in a chorus of criticism of an overcosy relationship between the authority and long established services providers like WSA and HNTB.

On that basis staff instituted competitive procurements.

But as is his habit - his critics say - when the chips were down, Wageman ratted. He was the swing vote to scuttle the very competitive procurements he had championed.

Many are quietly celebrating his departure, although others lament it.

Vice-chair of the NTTA board Victor Vandergriff of Arlington is expected to succeed Wageman.  

Vandergriff voted recently in the minority to proceed with competitive service procurements.

BIOs

Wageman, 49 is a lawyer educated at Boston College and Georgetown University and works on government relations with the large law firm Winstead PC out of their Dallas office. He was first appointed as a Collin County delegate to NTTA in 2000 and was made chairman in 2006.

Vandergriff, 52, and his family have made their living from automobile dealerships. He has degrees in public affairs and law from University of Southern California and Southern Methodist University Dallas.  He is chair of the new Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

http://www.ntta.org/

TOLLROADSnews 2010-08-10