Jaunt is firmly committed to operating from a place of honesty, openness, and transparency. To that end, Jaunt has received the results of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s (DRPT) review of our financial, operational, and management practices. A full version of DRPT’s letter can be found here, on our website.
The conclusion of this review is disturbing but not surprising. For the last ten months, the Board and current leadership have been working to undo the damage exacted on the organization by the former CEO’s financial mismanagement. Corrective actions include:
- Requested a thorough investigation by our auditors into Jaunt’s FY20 finances
- Requested the resignation of former CEO, Brad Sheffield
- Put in place a system of checks and balances, changes in management structure, and other guardrails intended to ensure that this can never happen again
- Appointed an ethics officer, conducted ethics training at all levels of the organization, and formalized a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
- Fully cooperated with DRPT’S review
- Selected Ted Rieck to fill the CEO position, effective December 6
It is critical to understand that Jaunt is still fully operational. The steps identified by DPRT allow Jaunt to continue to serve the community while simultaneously taking appropriate steps to bring Jaunt back into compliance with state and federal funding requirements.
Jaunt is grateful to DRPT for the extensive time and energy that went into this review, and for the steps identified to bring us into compliance and reestablish our standing as a responsible and trusted steward of public funds. Jaunt views its relationship with DRPT as critical to its success in fulfilling its mission of meeting critical public transportation needs for the residents of Central Virginia.
