Massport names new CEO
By Leslie Miller, Associated Press, 4/11/2002

BOSTON (AP) The Massachusetts Port Authority on Thursday named Craig Coy, former chief executive of H.R. Logic, Inc. and a former White House adviser on counterterrorism, as its new chief executive following a five-month search to replace Virginia Buckingham, who resigned in November.

''I come here to work,'' said Coy, 52, a 20-year veteran of the Coast Guard who served as deputy director for counterterrorism for the National Security Council.

Coy was selected because of his security background, his familiarity with Washington, D.C., his experience with the public and private sectors and his knowledge of the aviation industry and maritime issues. He flew a helicopter patrol over Boston Harbor when he was stationed on Cape Cod in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and served as vice president/general manager for Lear Siegler Services, Inc., an aviation services company.

''My expectation was that nobody in the United States would have experience in all those various boxes,'' said Massport Board Chairman Mark Robinson. ''Craig Coy has all that experience and more.''

Coy, a commercial pilot, told Massport's board and employees that he was drawn to serving his country and to big challenges. He was inspired by his father, who served in the military for 26 years, ''and later, as a youngster, by President Kennedy's call to service,'' he said.

Saying he will emphasize security, safety, performance and citizenship, Coy concluded his remarks: ''Let's roll.''

Hiring an outsider with business experience at Massport was the recommendation of a task force appointed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The two hijacked planes that struck the World Trade Center took off from Logan International Airport.

Massport had long been criticized as a haven of patronage appointees, including Buckingham, a former chief of staff to the governor with little transportation experience.

Criticism of Massport escalated after the attacks, and the board hired executive search firm Russell Reynolds to find a new CEO.

The task force, headed by former State Street Corp. chairman Marshall Carter, also recommended reorganizing Massport so it's run more like a business than a government agency. Coy said the report laid out ''a nice outline and guidepost,'' but said he wouldn't make any immediate decisions about change.

''His first thing to do is to restore faith in Massport, probably by restoring faith in the staff,'' Carter said. ''The top people are pretty good.''

Many of the Carter Commission's recommendations to tighten security have been implemented both at Logan and the port, including a new anti-terrorism unit, intensified passenger screening and random vehicle searches.

Coy, a California native who lives in Boston, will help select a new director of public safety, for whom a search is already under way.

Massport's board of directors approved a four-year contract with a one-year renewal option for Coy at its monthly meeting, along with a $250,000-a-year salary. Coy was given the contract to protect him from political pressures.

He will also receive a pension consistent with Massport's retirement system and a severance package of one year's salary to be paid over time if he's terminated without cause.

''Qualified candidates wouldn't consider a top position at Massport without some form of retirement compensation,'' said Jose Juves, Massport spokesman.

Coy was scheduled to meet privately with acting Gov. Jane Swift on Thursday, and pledged to meet with lawmakers and communities affected by Massport, including Worcester, Bedford and East Boston.

Coy has a master's degree in business from Harvard University. HR Logic is a Waltham-based professional employer organization founded five years ago to provide human resource services to companies. Its annual revenue is about $2 billion.

On the Net:

http://www.massport.com

http://www.hrlogic.com

http://www.learinc.com

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