CCTA STAFF

Christopher Cole–General Manager of CCTA
Chris is the General Manager of CCTA and has been in this position since 2001. His previous professional experience has been as a public policy analyst for both the New York and Vermont State Legislatures. Chris currently serves on the following Boards and Committees: Board member on the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization, since 2001; member of  the Public Transit Advisory Council, since 2001;  a Board member on Vermont Public Transportation Association (VPTA) serving as Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee.  Chris has previously served on several advisory bodies having been appointed to the Vermont Rail Council in 2001 by Governor Dean and reappointed by Governor Douglas in 2003 and appointed by Governor Douglas to the Vermont Transportation Operations Council which advises the Secretary of Transportation on transportation operations and intermodal issues.  Chris also served for six years as a board member of the Northeastern Passenger Transportation Association (NEPTA).

Chris is always thinking of innovative ways to make the CCTA bus service more efficient and convenient for Chittenden County residents, as his staff can attest. There is no area of the authority that he doesn’t ask questions about the way things are done and why. He is a big proponent of more passenger amenities, so when you see a new bus shelter being built or notice a new bench along a CCTA route, you’ll know that Chris pushed to make it happen.

In his free time, Chris enjoys skiing and watching his two sons play soccer.

Chris can be contacted at ccole@cctaride.org

Gary Thompson–Assistant General Manager of CCTA
Gary is the Assistant General Manager of CCTA and has been with the Authority for over 30 years. Gary oversees the Operations and Maintenance departments of CCTA and is the official CCTA Safety Officer. Gary also ensures that CCTA is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, all the while making sure his departments provide the public with safe, convenient and reliable public transportation.

Marketing
The Marketing Department maintains our website, designs cool promotional material and spends lots of time out in the community chatting with current and future CCTA riders. They also manage our bus advertising program and connect with area business to encourage the use of public transit.

Planning
Our Planning Department analyzes routes and schedules, ridership figures, traffic patterns and public opinion—all in an effort to meet the needs of our passengers to the best of our ability. Members of the Planning Department also manage grants, capital projects, and the paratransit program for this region.

Operations
The Operations Department is comprised of bus drivers, field supervisors and management staff, and they all keep the entire system running smoothly. They are out in the public every day, answering questions, providing information and transporting passengers safely.

Maintenance
Our large maintenance staff takes care of repairing the buses and completes preventative maintenance on the vehicles to extend the life expectancy and increase efficiency. They know the buses inside and out!

Human Resources
Our Human Resources Department is responsible for recruiting and hiring new employees, maintaining employee benefits and ensuring a quality work environment for us all.

Finance
The CCTA Finance Department keeps the finances of the organization in order. A team of people handle payroll and all accounts payable and receivable and keep finances running smoothly at CCTA.