Two finalists for the position of Director of Transportation and Parking will be coming to the West Virginia University campus for interviews this month, Vice President for Administration and Finance Narvel Weese announced.
John Shaheen, director of Parking, Transportation and Visitors Center at Washington State University in Spokane, will be here Friday, Sept. 7.
Hugh Kierig, director of Parking and Transit Services at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, will visit Tuesday, Sept. 11.
University employees, especially those at the PRT and Parking offices, are encouraged to attend open campus receptions for both candidates.
Shaheens reception is 4 p.m. Friday in the Mountainlair Mountaineer Room; Kierigs will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Erickson Alumni Centers Durrett Hall.
WVUs Transportation and Parking Committee recently recommended creating a new position to guide transportation and parking initiatives,Weese said.A national search resulted in two excellent candidates. I invite the University community to meet these individuals and get their thoughts on local and University traffic solutions and effective parking and transportation systems.
John Shaheen
As Washington States chief transportation and parking administrator, Shaheen oversees a $3.3 million self-supporting auxiliary enterprise which includes over 10,000 parking spaces and four parking garages that support a campus population of approximately 23,000. He also manages two transit service contracts providing over 1 million rides annually, and directs a Visitors Center program serving over 30,000 per year.
Shaheen has 22 years in higher education management and over 30 years in progressive supervisory roles with other employers including the Walt Disney Corp. and Denneys restaurants. He says his philosophy is grounded in customer service, strategic planning and running a self-sustaining, financially healthy transportation and parking system.
He is a Certified Administrator of Public Parking(CAPP), the highest professional certification in the parking industry, and is a member of many transit and parking associations including the International Parking Institute.
He is a WSU graduate.
Hugh Kierig
Kierig is Oklahoma States primary administrator of a 12,000-space on-campus parking system as well as general manager of Stillwaters full-scale public transportation system which serves students, employees and the community. He manages an operating budget of over $2 million.
The campus is also currently in the construction phase of a multimodal transportation facility that merges a 1,100-space parking garage with a transit terminal
which encourages use by a variety of mode choices including a carpool matching program and anoptionscampaign highlighting walking, bicycling, public transportation and other choices.
Soliciting feedback through on-board and online surveys and implementing a web-based technology system (T-2), has led to recent awards from the Oklahoma Transit Authority for best marketing in 2005 and transit system of the year in 2006.
During his 20-plus years in public and private land use and transportation projects, his philosophy has been grounded in planning, collaboration and quality customer service, he says.
Previous positions include president of KA Associates, a transit and parking consulting firm based in Kansas City, Mo.; director of service development for the Oklahoma City regions public transit and parking authority; and head of subdivision and zoning for the City of Oklahoma Land Plan Implementation Division.
He is a certified planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners and a member of several transit and parking boards, including the City and Stillwater Trails Task Force which is charged with developing an integrated regional trail system.
He is a graduate of Oklahoma State.