Atlanta (Special to ZennieReport.com) – The City of Oakland just sent this Oakland Blogger in suburban Atlanta a press release with the headline “City of Oakland Announces New Permanent Director of Transportation Josh Rowan”. So, since I am here keeping my 89-year-old Mom company while keeping my place near Lake Merritt, something said to me “If Mr. Rowan’s from around here, he’s got a backstory that’s not going to be picked up back in Oakland” Sure enough, I was right.
Josh Rowan Does Some Mysterious Job Jumping In Atlanta
After starting out with much fanfare as the newly appointed head of then-the-brand-new Atlanta’s Department of Transportation (Atlanta DOT) November 23rd 2019 and a year before that appointed as head of the Renew Atlanta Bond Issue Project, both under then-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Josh Rowan “mysteriously”, to use Atlanta Journal Constitution’s J.D. Capeloto’s word, resigned from the job officially July 1, 2022.
He then went to become Deputy General Manger of MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), Atlanta’s version of BART in Oakland.
Josh Rowan’s switching from both RenewAtlanta to head of Atlanta DOT, and then from that to MARTA, were all greeted with fanfare. Rowan is noted as a “reformer” for getting Atlanta’s street and sidewalk capital improvement program “back on track” at Atlanta DOT. But, suddenly, and inexplicably, Rowan resigned. He even ran away from the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s J.D. Capeloto when the reporter approached him at Atlanta City Hall. Whatever his reason for jumping ship, Rowan managed to keep it largely quiet.
It’s a wonder if the City of Oakland is aware of this matter, or the fact that, after just five months on the MARTA job, Rowan quit that one too early last year 2023. From reports, Rowan took issue with what’s claimed to be MARTA’s cultural problem of giving tons of money to consultants, and to a degree that the result winds up impacting the organization’s bottom line.
Rowan appears to be a good man trying to do good work as a government official, and discovering (as I did while working to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland) the reality of people who work in a department often butts heads with the fantasy of running it. How else to explain why he jumped ship from MARTA, then filed a lawsuit against it in January of this year? Simple: because Josh was fired, and he didn’t step down.
As it happens, Rowan was fired ‘without cause’ as John Ruch reported in the Saporta Report. Rush wrote: “MARTA’s former deputy general manager has explained his surprise departure this month as a firing “without cause” on grounds that the transit agency is “going in a different direction.””
Rush continued with this entry:
Josh Rowan’s departure – only five months after his high-profile hiring – was announced to MARTA staff on Jan. 5 without explanation and without any public notice. A former commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation, he was tasked by MARTA with speeding the delivery of major projects and engaging with communities to determine whether some of those lines should be served by rail or bus. His departure only deepened confusion about MARTA’s schedule and direction amid intense controversies like Atlanta BeltLine transit and Campbellton Road bus rapid transit.
In a Jan. 13 LinkedIn post, Rowan gave an explanation. “Many have asked what happened,” he wrote. “The simple answer is I was fired by MARTA’s general manager.”
That’s Collie Greenwood, who was serving as interim general manager at the time of Rowan’s hiring last summer and who won the permanent job in October.
Rowan wrote that he was fired on Jan. 5. The following is his version of the event:
“I was alone in a conference room when the general manager entered with the assistant general manager for human resources. There were only three people in the room. The general manager told me I was fired and that ‘we [MARTA] are going in a different direction.’ He shook my hand and left the room. After the general manager left the room, the assistant general manager for human resources communicated that I was being fired without cause, effective immediately, and with no severance pay. I returned my MARTA-owned equipment on the spot, exited the building without escort or incident, and drove home. Those are the facts.”
Asked if he is considering any legal action against MARTA related to the firing, Rowan declined to comment.
MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher confirmed Rowan was fired and that “it was not for cause, meaning he didn’t violate any sort of policy or anything.” She could not immediately provide comment from Greenwood, but said that he believed it was better to move ahead with Rowan’s replacement, Interim Chief Capital Officer Carrie Rocha. “It’s not a new direction,” Fisher said. “…I think that is what Collie saw as a good way to head with these programs.”
MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher confirmed Rowan was fired and that “it was not for cause, meaning he didn’t violate any sort of policy or anything.” She could not immediately provide comment from Greenwood, but said that he believed it was better to move ahead with Rowan’s replacement, Interim Chief Capital Officer Carrie Rocha. “It’s not a new direction,” Fisher said. “…I think that is what Collie saw as a good way to head with these programs.”
Rowan’s post thanked the transit agency’s Capital Projects Expansion and Innovation team, while also warning of project delivery challenges and revealing an insider budget shortfall projection that affects such funds as the “More MARTA” sales tax pot.
“You have a monumental task ahead of you to re-baseline the capital programs, considering a month ago, a third-party financial capacity analysis draft report projected a revenue shortfall in excess of $1 billion for More MARTA Atlanta and a revenue shortfall in excess of $160 million for Clayton County,” he wrote. “It will be a monumental challenge to deliver these voter-approved portfolio of SPLOST [special local option sales tax] projects in any sort of timely manner.”
Fisher said those numbers are “not accurate.” She said a third-party company is indeed analyzing MARTA revenue for anticipated shortfalls and funding sources, but that it involves a variety of models that have yet to produce final recommendations, which should come in about a month. “And whatever the result is, that’s not the only one nor is it a new one,” she said of Rowan’s report.
Fisher also said that MARTA project delivery is unaffected by Rowan’s departure. “That hasn’t been impacted by this,” she said. “That continues, and Carrie was a huge part of this while Josh was here.”
A lifelong metalhead, Rowan concluded his post by quoting “Ride On,” a transportation-themed break-up song from the legendary rock band AC/DC on its album “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
“In closing, everyone has asked, ‘What is next?’” he wrote. “Allow me to quote one of my favorite bands, AC/DC: ‘But I know what I’m going to do……I’m gonna ride on.’”
Josh Rowan Rides On To Oakland And CAO Jestin Johnson
Now, Josh Rowan is an Oakland executive in charge of another DOT. The press release reads as follows, in part:
The City Administrator’s Office is proud to share the latest update to the City of Oakland’s departmental leadership team. Josh Rowan will be assuming the role of Director of the City of Oakland Department of Transportation, effective April 15, 2024.
Director Rowan brings a rich set of leadership skills and experience to this role. He specializes in successful delivery of large transportation capital programs, paired with a proven record as an avid advocate of safety, equity, and mobility in transportation systems. He is a “relentless incrementalist” who believes the success of any transportation agency is built upon the foundation of excellence in maintenance and operations.
He brings to this role experience as highway contractor, consultant engineer and program manager, as well as public agency leadership. His private sector experience was focused on transportation in the eastern United States as well as Tanzania and Mozambique. He served as the City of Atlanta’s first commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT), where he stood up a new city department by consolidating technical resources from four different operating units.
Some of his achievements at ATLDOT included:
- Completion of major corridor improvements
- Implementation of smart school zone safety improvements
- Installation of traffic signal preemption for fire and EMS
- Development and implementation of $30M streetlight repair and expansion program
- Leadership of program development for Moving Atlanta Forward capital program ($400M) that was approved with nearly 80% support by popular referendum
- Investment in community engagement with a “walk and talk” program with community that walked more than 200 miles to address issues
- Development of strategies to minimize street racing and sideshow activity
- Implementation of e-scooter permit and enforcement process
“Safety is our business. Everyone should be able to move freely and safely throughout Oakland using their desired mode of transportation, no matter where they live,” Director Rowan said. He added, “All OakDOT team members deserve an organization that prioritizes their physical and mental wellbeing, creates opportunities for career growth, delivers on commitments, and enjoys our journey.”
Considering what happened at MARTA, it’s no surprise the experience didn’t wind up in the Oakland press release. But it should have been added as part of his history, even if the ugly details were left out.
And while we’re picking up where the press release left off, here’s a biographic entry from a speech he was to give to the Atlanta Rotary:
Josh Rowan has been appointed Commissioner of Atlanta’s new Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) formed to significantly accelerate and diversify projects with better options for getting around Atlanta safely, affordably and equitably.
Born Texan, raised New Mexican, and lived his adult life as a Georgian, Josh attended Covenant College (Lookout Mountain, GA) as a basketball walk-on, earning a scholarship before transferring to the Georgia Institution of Technology (Georgia Tech).
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Josh remained in Atlanta and spent the first five years of his career working with a local highway contractor. There, he learned the road building business from multiple perspectives – laborer, foreman, estimator, and project manager. Later, as a consultant in Cobb County, Josh was introduced to the management of large capital construction programs.For nearly two decades, Josh has worked in the public sector as a program manager for transportation, transit, education, healthcare, and law enforcement capital construction programs throughout the eastern United States, as well as Mozambique and Tanzania. Most recently, he served as General Manager for the City of Atlanta’s Renew | TSPLOST Program.
Josh is a member of Leadership Atlanta Class of 2012, Leadership Cobb Class of 2013, and Regional Leadership Institute Class of 2018. Of all his achievements, knowledge and experience, these are, without a doubt, the classes that mattered most.
Throughout his career, Josh has been actively engaged in the Atlanta community, serving for a decade as a reserve deputy in Cobb County. He is currently a board member for Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta and the Construction Infrastructure Systems Engineering Board at Georgia Tech. In addition, he is an emeritus member for Georgia Tech’s External Advisory Board for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He also mentors for the 100 Men to Mentors Challenge and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.
Josh is a member of the Alliance Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team where he is a purple belt and trains under professor Leonardo Nogueira. He serves on the vestry at Village Church, a local Anglican congregation.
He and his wife, Nancy Ladson Rowan, have four children – John, Dorothy, Ed, and Josie, who range in age from 2 to 18.
So, Oakland welcomes Josh Rowan, but Oaklanders have to wonder how long he will stick around given his track record of late. From a supportive perspective, he has been well received by the public. Moreoverr, I have to close by noting that current Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson knows Mr. Rowan and from his time as Chief Operating Officer for City of Atlanta Public Works when Josh was heading Atlanta DOT.
So, you think Rowan called Jestin and said “Can I come to Oakland and get a fresh start?”
Stay tuned.