Choice for bus agency reverses

Hillsborough will ask its second choice to be HART's chief.

By MIKE BRASSFIELD, Times Staff Writer
Published August 14, 2007

TAMPA - Mark Aesch, the first choice to become the new head of Hillsborough's bus agency, changed his mind and turned down the job Monday.

Aesch said he decided over the weekend to stay in his current job running a public bus service in Rochester, N.Y.

"It was a really difficult decision," he said in a phone interview Monday. "The opportunity in Tampa was incredibly exciting. It came down to, am I prepared to leave what we're doing up here?"

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit is now turning to its second choice - David Armijo, a Los Angeles transit official with 25 years of experience managing buses, toll roads and light rail.

However, it wasn't clear Monday whether Armijo would take the job either.

HART's attorney, Clark Jordan-Holmes, contacted Armijo after learning of Aesch's decision.

When asked whether HART had entered into salary negotiations with him, Jordan-Holmes would only say that he was "in discussions" with Armijo.

HART is seeking a replacement for its previous executive director, Ray Miller, who died of cancer in April.

HART operations manager Steven Roberts is filling the role of interim director.

Nearly two weeks ago, HART board members interviewed five finalists for the job.

After three rounds of voting, they ranked Aesch first and Armijo second.

Aesch said Monday the only reason he turned down HART was that he wants to finish some ambitious projects he has started in Rochester.

Armijo couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

Since 2002, he has overseen about 1,500 employees for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he's a general manager for the county's Westside and Central Los Angeles areas.

[Last modified August 14, 2007, 00:04:08]