Town of Ocean City Announces New Transit Manager

OCEAN CITY, MD –: After a lengthy search and several qualified candidates, the Town of Ocean City is pleased to welcome Mark Rickards to the position of Transit Manager. Rickards brings over 30 years of experience in the field of transportation, including his most recent experience as Director of Public Transportation for the City of Greenville, SC.

As Transit Manager, Rickards will oversee the transportation division and a fleet of nearly 70 busses, eight Boardwalk trams with 24 tram carts and 250 employees. He will direct and oversee the operations and planning of the division, as well as function as the town’s lead representative to the Maryland Transit Authority and Federal Transit Administration. In addition, he will direct recruitment efforts to secure adequate staffing levels for seasonal and year-round operations.

“Although the journey to hire a new Transit Manager took longer than initially expected, it was certainly well worth the wait,” said Hal Adkins, Director of Public Works. “Not only does Mark have vast experience in the world of transit, but he also has profound knowledge, and roots, to the Eastern Shore and will surely be “a good fit” for our organization. We are excited to have his familiarity with public transit systems, as well as his knowledge and partnerships with Federal, State and regional governments to improve transportation resources in Ocean City.”

Rickards’ professional experience includes various positions of transportation leadership, as well as understanding in tourist driven destinations. Before joining the City of Greenville, SC, in 2012, Rickards’ was the Executive Director of the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority and Transportation Engineer for the Richmond, VA, Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

With bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from High Point University and a master’s in regional planning, with specialization in transportation planning and modeling, from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Rickards’s professional career is now taking him back to his roots. “I grew up in Frankford, DE and graduated from Indian River High School there. I have always desired to come home to Delmarva,” Rickards’ commented. “I am eager to get started and to bring my experience in transportation to the Eastern Shore. Ocean City has an outstanding transportation system and I am excited to work closely with the Mayor and City Council, the staff and the transportation committee to make our services even better for our residents and guests.