Management
Michael S. Townes has been President/CEO of HRT since 1999. Over the past three decades, Michael has devoted his career to public transportation. In November 1986, Michael joined the Peninsula Transportation District Commission (PENTRAN) as the Assistant to the Executive Director. He was appointed Acting Executive Director in 1988 and became Executive Director in July 1989. Effective October 1, 1999, Michael became the Executive Director of the newly formed Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (Hampton Roads Transit).Michael is the recipient of several distinguished awards including the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Executive of the Year award, the Women in Transit Committee Achievement Award, and the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Conference of Minority Public Administrators. He was also appointed to Virginia’s Specialized Transportation Committee by Governor George Allen in 1996.
Michael also plays a vital role throughout the various organizations he belongs to. He currently serves as Chairman of the American Public Transportation Association, is the Legislative Chair for COMTO and the Virginia Transit Association. Recently, he was appointed by Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine to serve on the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change. He also belongs to the Board of Directors for the Virginia High Speed Rail Development Committee. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science as well as a master’s degree in Urban Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.
Jayne Whitney is the Senior Vice President for Development and has close to thirty years experience in transportation planning. She is currently responsible for the planning, engineering, design and construction and funding of major capital projects in the organization, including New Starts projects such as the Norfolk Light Rail project.Jayne began her professional career with VDOT and performed highway planning and public transportation planning. She received her bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. Jayne was a member of the first Leadership APTA class and is a Deputy co-chair of APTA’s Major Capital Investment Committee.
Larry Davenport is the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration. The department includes Accounting, Grants & Budget, Procurement, Revenue Services, and Risk Management. Larry is responsible for processing financial transactions, preparing financial reports, complying with regulatory requirements, and providing financial leadership to HRT.Prior to joining HRT, Larry served as the Director of Finance with the Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia for six years. He also spent twenty years working for the City of Virginia Beach as the Senior Financial Analyst. Before embarking on a professional career, he also served two years in the U.S. Army. Larry has published numerous articles in professional journals and has served as a member of a number of professional associations. Larry holds a master’s degree in Business Administration as well as a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Old Dominion University.
David Sullivan is the Senior Vice President for Planning and Technology. He is responsible for policy and planning related to information technology infrastructure and support services. Prior to joining HRT in July 2005, David served the citizens of Virginia Beach for 32 years; his last six years were served as the City’s Chief Information Officer. David’s technology leadership efforts in Virginia Beach culminated when the City was named the nation’s top digital city by the Center for Digital Government. He has received a number of regional recognitions including the 2004 High Tech Leadership Award, the 2002 IT Executive of the Year and the 2001 Julian F. Hirst Award for Distinguished Service from the American Society for Public Administration.
David is also involved in various organizations. He serves as Vice-Chair on APTA’s Information Technology Committee and is a member of the Hampton Roads Technology Council, and the Association for Computing Machinery. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA as well as a master’s degree in Management from Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA.
Homer Carter joined HRT in January 2008 and serves as HRT’s Senior Vice President of Transit Operations. Homer is responsible for overseeing bus and rail operations as well as bus and rail maintenance activities. Homer has spent the majority of his professional career in public transportation, engineering and construction management. Prior to coming to HRT, Homer was Chief of Metro Link’s light rail operations for the Bi-State Development Agency (Metro St.Louis). While there, he was responsible for safely and efficiently transporting over eighty-thousand passengers daily. Metro Link has been recognized as one of North American’s premiere light rail properties. Prior to St. Louis, Homer was responsible for managing the day-to-day light rail operations for the Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, PA. Homer has also held executive management positions in both the engineering and construction industry. Homer received his Bachelor’s degree in American Legal Studies from Point Park University and Associates Degrees in American Labor Law and Industrial Engineering. He is a Certified Dispute Resolutions Mediator and a member of the American Arbitration Institute. Homer has also served on various APTA Rail Committees.
Vince Jackson is responsible for service and strategic planning, route scheduling, NTD data collection, and bus stop management and database. Vince has over 22 years of transit planning experience. Prior to joining HRT in June 2007, he was employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for 8 years, as a consultant for Scientific Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for two years, for Capitol Metropolitan Transit Authority in Austin, Texas for 7 years, and the Chicago Transit Authority for five years. Vince is a member of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). Vince holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and master’s degree in Urban Studies from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.
Karen Burnetteis the Vice President for Administration. The department includes Organizational Development (responsible for recruiting/hiring, training, organizational structure, employee logistics), Records Management (retention, destruction, and archiving of all official records and documents), and Human Resources. As Vice President, Karen’s role is to serve as the main liaison between HRT’s governing board by providing oversight for public meetings, committee activities, and special events. Prior to the formation of HRT in 1999, Karen was employed by PENTRAN in 1980. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hampton University in Hampton, VA, and a master’s degree in public administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, CA. She is currently a member of the Greater Williamsburg Women’s Association, Kiwanis International, and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.
Michael Perry has been the Vice President for Operations since 2004. He is responsible for directing and maintaining the operation of bus, trolley, paratransit and passenger ferry contract vehicles, while also managing route and schedule planning. Michael has over twenty-seven years of transportation experience, both in the public and private sector. He has vast experience in transit operations, fleet maintenance, facilities maintenance, capital facilities planning, and transportation planning.
Prior to working for HRT, Michael was the Regional General Manager for the Fairfax Connector, in Fairfax, Virginia. While working for the Fairfax Connector, one of his major accomplishments was a revised bus plan, which included 70,000 additional revenue hours and a complete redesign of passenger schedules, route maps and rider guides.
Michael is currently a member of APTA’s human resources, financial management, risk management, and operations Committees. He also serves on the National Training Institute Planning Team and is a member of the East Coast Hybrid Consortium. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.
James Toscano is Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications. The Department includes Communications/Community Relations, Customer Service, Government Relations, Marketing and the TRAFFIX program. James was hired by HRT in May 2005 as Director of Government and Media Relations. Before HRT, James served as legislative director to Bob McDonnell, Attorney General of Virginia, since 2002, during Bob’s tenure as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Assistant Majority Leader. In the summer of 2002, James was a Governor’s Fellow under Governor Mark R. Warner in the Virginia Office of the Governor, working alongside the Secretary of Technology to promote Virginia’s technology industry. He has also previously done stints in television and radio broadcasting.
As a volunteer, James is a member of the Board of Directors of Current Pictures, a film production company, the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Virginia Transit Association, and he has previously been a member of the Board of Visitors of Old Dominion University (2002). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of London in the UK.
