Suwannee County Commissioner Larry Sessions was appointed the new administrator of the Suwannee Valley Transit Authority by their board of directors Monday, April 20. Prior to becoming administrator, Sessions served as the interim administrator since April 1. He will resign from his position on the SVTA Board of Directors and Suwannee County Commissioner Wesley Wainwright will take his place. Sessions is signed on for a five year contract with the SVTA, which provides general transport to the public and non-emergency medical transport, particularly services for those with disabilities.

Sessions retired in 2010 with 35 years of logistics and management experience with UPS, but, in his words, he can’t say “no” to work. When he was assigned to the SVTA Board of Directors, he had no intention of becoming the agency’s administrator, he said, but he soon realized it needed help. As a board member, he offered to assist staff with improving their efficiencies and reorganizing, and was later appointed interim administrator, for which he refused compensation.

As the administrator, he is refusing retirement and health benefits while taking a lower salary, and fulfilling both administrator and director of operations roles, already saving the agency over $100,000.

“It’s my way of helping the SVTA do better by not putting such a burden on them of money going out,” Sessions said.

The SVTA has come under scrutiny recently following state investigations into the former administrator and director of operations for unallowable compensatory time payouts of public funds between 2012 and 2014. The case went before a Suwannee County grand jury which failed to indict the two in February, and the FDLE closed its criminal case against them.

Moving into the future, Sessions wants to be sure he is doing everything right and by the books. He was cleared by the Florida Commission on Ethics for any conflicts of interests concerning his role as a county commissioner, he said. Should the county commission vote on anything regarding money and the SVTA, Sessions will abstain.

“I don’t want to do anything unethical,” he said. “I don’t want to put any bad favor on SVTA. They’ve had enough. If I do anything, I want to bring them into a new light. I’ll do whatever is ethically correct.”

Sessions has invited state officials who were involved in the aforementioned investigations for a visit to make sure he understands what they’re looking for, and what their expectations are.

“My eyes and ears are open,” said Sessions. “I’m in the learning process right now.”

Sessions’ approach to administration is very hands-on and service-oriented, he explained. In just the first few days of his new role, he has already filled in for a driver after the employee became ill.

“I’m all about the operation,” he said. “At the end of the day, all we have to offer is service.”

In the future, Sessions hopes to grow the agency’s business back after it was dealt significant blows following Medicaid reforms. He also wants to increase SVTA’s drivers and begin public transportation services in the city of Live Oak.

“I’m happy to be here,” Sessions said on his new position. “I’m proud to have the group of people that we have working here. I feel fortunate to be here, and I’m humbled that the board had confidence in me. I’m up for the challenge.”