Home Economy Government Durand appointed interim RIPTA CEO

Durand appointed interim RIPTA CEO

Updated at 2:47 p.m. on April 16, 2024

By

Christopher Allen

-

04/16/2024

RIPTA — THE R.I. PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY board of directors on Tuesday accepted the resignation of CEO Scott Avedisian, selecting Chief Finanical Officer Christopher Durand to serve until a permanent replacement is appointed. / PBN SCREENSHOT

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Public Transit Authority board of directors on Tuesday unanimously accepted the resignation of CEO Scott Avedisian. Avedisian submitted his resignation letter on April 11 to Gov. Daniel J. McKee after being charged with leaving the scene of a Warwick accident. In a second vote, RIPTA board Chairperson and R.I. Department of

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PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Public Transit Authority board of directors on Tuesday unanimously accepted the resignation of CEO Scott Avedisian. Avedisian submitted his resignation letter on April 11 to Gov. Daniel J. McKee after being charged with leaving the scene of a Warwick accident. In a second vote, RIPTA board Chairperson and R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. made a motion to temporarily assign responsibilities to current Chief Financial Officer Christopher Durand, saying the finance head “really is key in that person [having] direct knowledge of all aspects of [the] organization. "He's got a good knowledge to hold the leadership position at least temporarily," he said. Durand will hold the position until a new CEO is appointed. In his formal letter requesting termination of his contract, Avedisian wrote of his regret that the agency’s accomplishments “were being overshadowed by recent events.” Under the terms of the agreement, Avedisian will be paid $67,823.77 in 13 weekly installments beginning April 25, according to RIPTA spokesperson Kristy Raposa. This includes both weekly wages and accrued vacation time. The incident occurred on March 27 at about 6:15 p.m. at a McDonald’s on Post Road in Warwick. According to court records obtained by WPRI-TV CBS 12, Avedisian rear-ended the car in front of him with his RIPTA-issued black Ford SUV. Avedisian drove off after telling the driver to pull over into the parking lot and wait, according to the court filings. Avedisian was also cited for failing to report the crash to police. Avedisian pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing at Kent County Court, where he was arraigned on one count of the misdemeanor charge. He was released on $1,000 personal recognizance and his next court date is scheduled for April 25. After the vote, board member Normand Benoit called the end of Avedisian's tenure "sad and troubling," but said he appreciated that the now-former executive chose not to "drag things out. "Scott took the high road to his credit,” he said. (UPDATE replaces seventh paragraph with further payment details regarding Avedisian's resignation.) Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.