CAT moves forward with new leadership amid funding fight

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Chatham Area Transit’s Board of Directors announced Monday that acting CEO Stephanie Cutter is in final talks to officially assume the CEO title—a move that comes as the transit system faces mounting pressure from union workers, legal battles with the county, and persistent safety concerns.

The special board meeting drew dozens of transit drivers and union members, signaling the high stakes of the leadership decision.

“The importance of today’s meeting was just to identify with the name and make sure that the public understood what we were going through,” said Detric Leggett, chairman of Chatham Area Transit’s board.

The board is expected to formally announce Cutter as the new CEO at its next meeting later this month.

However, the announcement has not been met with universal support. Union leaders are demanding that any new CEO bring substantial transit experience to the table.

“We will want an experienced transit experience CEO. At least 10 years of transit experience that have shown how they have vision to bring the organization forward,” said Donya Swinton, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

Swinton has been outspoken about the current direction of the organization, suggesting that CAT has been on a “downward slope” under existing leadership. She indicated that workers’ reaction to Cutter’s appointment may not be positive.

Among the union’s primary grievances is the safety of transit operators. Workers point to ongoing operator assaults and the lack of protective equipment as major issues.

“Our buses are not safe. We do not have protective glass that we have been asking for. We’ve had operator assaults,” Swinton said.

The leadership transition occurs against a backdrop of legal disputes between CAT and the county government over funding and board representation.

Board Chairman Leggett pushed back against any suggestion of wrongdoing.

“I haven’t had anything from the county’s representation or anybody to say that they saw anything that was wrong or if there was some type of wrongdoing.”

Despite the controversy, board leadership remains optimistic about the transit system’s future. Leggett emphasized plans to expand service westward and grow CAT’s reach across the region.

“We’re actually looking forward to moving west and expanding the CAT service as much as possible,” he said.