AC Transit's General Manager Rick Fernandez and the AC Transit Board of Directors today announced his pending separation from the District.  Fernandez is the longest serving general manager during the agency's 50-year history. 

"I met with the Board over the past few weeks and let them know of my desire to have more free time with my family and enjoy personal interests. I have been working with them to finalize my departure so as to make the transition as smooth and as helpful to the transit District as possible,"  Rick Fernandez said.  He has served as General Manager since February 1999.

"Rick has done an outstanding job for our riders, our staff, and the taxpayers who support our bus system," said AC Transit President Rocky Fernandez (no relation to general manager Rick Fernandez).  "Equally important, he has helped AC Transit lead the way in progressively guiding the organization through good and bad economic times."

 The transit Board praised the General Manager for his long service, his dedication and his modernization of the bus operating fleet with environmentally friendly vehicles, including state-of-the-art hydrogen-powered buses.  Furthermore, the District invested in renewable energy projects including solar systems at District facilities and biodiesel and gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel.

"Rick has also done a remarkable job of improving and stabilizing our finances," said President Fernandez.  "He has revolutionized relationships with our funding agencies and has devised innovative ways of using various fund sources to financially support the District.  He built up a major reserve fund prior to the last recession, then rebuilt those reserves after that recession.  The current reserves have enabled the District to deal with this recession in a rational way with ample public process rather than having to slash service last January." 

 Board President Fernandez said the transit District is reviewing candidates to temporarily fill the position as Acting General Manager while the District begins the process of a nationwide search to permanently replace the outgoing General Manager.  The District and the General Manager are finalizing the details of his departure and no date as yet is set for his last day of service. 

The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District is the largest bus-only public transit system in the United States, serving 13 cities and nine unincorporated areas in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. AC Transit has been serving the East Bay since 1960, taking over from the Key System and its predecessors, which carried passengers via buses, horse-drawn rail, electric streetcars, and ferries over the previous 40 years. AC Transit's mission is to provide safe, convenient, courteous, and reliable transit service. 

General Manager Rick Fernandez began his career with the District as Assistant General Manager of operations in 1996, coming to the District from a position as Deputy General Manager of Operations at New Jersey Transit. He began as AC General Manager three years later in Feb. 1999, replacing General Manager Sharon Banks. Board President Rocky Fernandez praised Rick Fernandez's service to the District and credited the General Manager with innovative marketing and revenue programs, successful bond measures, and developing a reputation for AC Transit throughout the industry for innovation in fleet design and financial management.

"It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve the riders and the District," said Rick Fernandez. "I have enjoyed 33 years of challenges in the transportation world, and I will always value the friendships, both personal and professional, that I have had the pleasure to make while serving for the past 13 years at AC Transit."