Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1997 Page A 7 ©1998 San Francisco Examiner
Maintenance chief flip-flops, will stay at Muni
Meeting with mayor helps change Stumpo's mind
Zachary Coile
OF THE EXAMINER STAFF
In an abrupt about-face, Muni's chief of maintenance says he will stay
put, two weeks after announcing he was leaving for a transit job in
Utah.
David Stumpo, a top lieutenant to Muni director Emilio Cruz, said a
meeting with Mayor Brown last week had made him change his mind.
Stumpo, 41, who has been mentioned as a possible successor to Cruz,
said the mayor had made clear his desire to fix Muni and urged him not
to leave.
"I liked the commitment and thought it would be a better challenge to
stay on (at Muni) and stay in The City, and to take the challenge on
and support the mayor," Stumpo said.
Stumpo, who was appointed during Mayor Frank Jordan's term to oversee
all maintenance on the railway's bus, rail and trolley lines,
announced his resignation in mid-December. He had accepted the job as
director of a new light rail system Salt Lake City is building in
anticipation of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
In an interview with The Examiner Dec. 18, Stumpo said his leaving had
nothing to do with a federal safety probe set to start in January. The
National Transportation Safety Board called for a safety overhaul in
November after a string of accidents.
"It was an opportunity to be part of an exciting rail system startup,"
he said of the job in Salt Lake City. "It was a personal choice."
Stumpo said his change of heart had come after a meeting called by
Brown in his office last Wednesday. Stumpo said Brown asked about his
new job and why he was leaving.
He said Brown then "shared his sorrow that I had accepted that
position and thought I was a key component in fixing Muni and
correcting transit deficiencies here.
"He thought I would be better served if I stayed on with Muni, and he
ensured his dedication to Muni if I did stay on."
Also at the meeting was Robert Starzel, a new Brown appointee to the
Public Transportation Commission, who joined in pressing him to stay.
In December, Brown persuaded Cruz to remain at Muni for at least
another year. Cruz had said publicly he was interested in moving to a
new post.
Kandace Bender, the mayor's press secretary, said the mayor was
pleased that Cruz and Stumpo would stay on to carry out promised
reforms at Muni.
"Emilio has been putting in place a lot of changes whose
manifestations will be felt in the next year," Bender said. "I think
it's great that they will be staying on as a team to see those changes
through."