Stark Area Regional Transit Authority CEO Kirt Conrad has abruptly resigned after nearly two decades leading the agency, SARTA announced Thursday.
In an email to board members on Aug. 6, Conrad said he would step down in August 2026 but did not give a reason for his departure. The board has appointed Ralph Lee, the former chief human resources officer for the Kenan Advantage Group, as SARTA’s interim CEO. They did so at Wednesday night’s board meeting.
Conrad’s resignation comes as SARTA continues to grapple with financial shortfalls, service reductions, and staff layoffs. He has served as CEO since 2009, guiding the agency through both periods of growth and recent financial turbulence.
In November, SARTA disclosed plans to eliminate five bus routes and lay off up to 30 employees in February after sales tax revenue — the agency’s primary funding source — fell short of projections. The cuts included three late-night loop routes, the Success Express Route serving major employers in Massillon and Navarre, and a community circulator route in Canton. The agency also scaled back its ProLine paratransit service for riders with disabilities.
At that time, Conrad warned board members that state and federal funding could also decline in 2025, further straining the budget. “The expenses have not been the problem,” he said during a November meeting. “It’s the revenue projection that’s been deteriorating.”
In March, SARTA’s finance director was terminated after Conrad said he discovered accounting errors totaling millions of dollars in the agency’s financial reports. An outside audit found no evidence of theft or fraud, but the miscalculations had given an overly optimistic picture of the agency’s finances, leading to unplanned spending from reserves.
The agency has been operating under an interim budget while its books are reworked and is in the process of replacing its 12-year-old financial software.
Conrad’s resignation marks the latest leadership shake-up at SARTA as it navigates shrinking revenues and reduced services under new interim leadership.
