By Lookout Staff

January 4, 2011 -- Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus has hired a New York transportation official to run the day-today operations for the agency, which operates a fleet of more than 200 vehicles.

Patrick Campbell, who has served as General Manager of MV Transportation's Brooklyn, New York paratransit system and Director of Transportation for the Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA) of Albany, NY, has been hired as the agency's Chief Operations Officer, City officials announced Tuesday.

Campbell "brings a depth and breadth of both operations and maintenance experience to BBB and will fit in well with our team," said Ed King, Director of the Big Blue Bus.

Campbell's will be responsible for budgeting, strategic planning, capital improvement programs and training and staff development for the agency, which transports more than 70,000 passengers a day across a nearly 52-square mile service area.

"I intend to work on streamlining our operations so that the people who utilize the services provided receive reliable, dependable and quality transportation," Campbell said in a statement.

"It is important to me to include everyone at all levels of the organization to achieve our goals and objectives and recognize each individual's contribution," he said.

A 25-year veteran of public transit, Campbell was responsible for operating MV Transportation's 280-vehicle paratransit fleet, which provides more than 3,000 one-way trips daily within all five Burroughs. He also headed a workforce of more than 700 employees.

As transportation director at CDTA in Albany between 2006 and 2009, Campbell managed a 275-vehicle public transit system located across three separate facilities within four counties. He also led initiatives that included capital projects.

Previously, Campbell served as the Operations and Grants Manager for the Johnson County Transit system in Olathe, Kansas and as the Director of Transit with the Greater Glens Falls Transit Glens Falls, New York, where he implemented computerized maintenance procedures.

Campbell received his Masters of Business Administration in 2004 from Mid-America Nazarene University, Olathe, KS, and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management in 1987 from the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, N.Y.