Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit will be under new management for the first time in a decade after hiring a Utah transportation official this week.
The board voted unanimously on Wednesday to hire Eddy Cumins, the chief operating officer for the Utah Transit Authority. Cumins, 48, will start on Nov. 29, replacing Farhad Mansourian.
Mansourian, the general manager since 2011, announced his retirement earlier this year.
“One of my main goals is making sure the system meets the needs of the community. I believe that is key to a successful system,” Cumins said Thursday. “I have to be there and on the ground to really understand what that is and what we’ve done in the past. You have to be willing to make adjustments if they’re necessary.”
Cumins was hired under a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $298,000 and a 5% increase after six months. He will also receive a bimonthly $460 car and cellphone allowance and up to $27,850 in reimbursements for moving expenses.
Cumins has worked for 10 years in various roles at the Utah Transit Authority, including chief operating officer since 2019. He also served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, including work on vehicle maintenance.
The Utah Transit Authority is the state’s largest transit provider, serving more than 43 million riders and providing commuter rail, light rail, bus, paratransit and rideshare services. Cumins oversees more than 2,200 employees.
As to why he decided to join the comparatively smaller SMART agency, Cumins said he and his wife love the Marin and Sonoma communities, having visited the region and looked at SMART’s system even before the hiring process began.
“What I felt immediately is that my skill set is a really really good fit for SMART,” Cumins said. “I come from an operational background. I think that Farhad and that team have done a phenomenal job of building that system. I think me coming in with the operational background is taking it to the next level and that I will really be able to have a positive impact on the system overall.”
Cumins joins at a time of significant challenges for the agency, including efforts to recover ridership lost during the pandemic; the recent acquisition of North Bay freight hauling operations; completing the northern expansion of its rail system; working to expand its bike path network; and persuading Marin and Sonoma residents to renew the district’s sales tax, its main revenue generator, before it expires in 2029.
Cumins said he reviewed all of the agency’s recent community forums and said he plans to meet with various stakeholders when he begins.
“I thought there was very valuable information and a lot of suggestions,” Cumins said. “It seems to me, at least from watching those videos and going out and talking to people in the area, I think people want SMART to be successful and I just want to be a part of that.”
Cumins was selected over two other candidates interviewed by the board and a technical advisory committee that included local residents.
Barbara Pahre, vice chair of the SMART board, praised Cumins as a “creative, involved and a masterful leader.”
“What resonated with me is he seemed to have an excitement to joining the community,” Pahre said before the board’s vote on Wednesday.
Tarrell Kullaway, executive director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, was on the community hiring panel that endorsed Cumins.
“I remember you mentioned you and your wife were going to get e-bikes and I hope I can take you on some tour of those e-bikes on the North-South Greenway that will be completed under your leadership,” Kullaway said to Cumins during the board meeting.
