In Memoriam: Dr. Floun’say Caver, GCRTA

Dr. Floun’say Caver, chief operating officer / deputy general manager – operations, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), OH, has died. He had served the agency for more than 20 years.

Caver first came to GCRTA in 2000 as a budget management analyst, before returning in 2006 as assistant budget director/budget manager. He then served in a number of leadership positions. He became director of service quality management in 2009, before taking his seat as director of the Hayden Bus District in 2012. He was promoted to chief operating officer / deputy general manager in 2017, interim CEO / secretary – treasurer in 2018, and chief operating officer in 2019, where he led more than 2,000 employees and managed a $288 million annual budget.

During his tenure, Caver designed and implemented TransitStat, an industry-best performance management program, and led GCRTA through a series of critical studies, termed “Pillar Studies,” which informed the agency’s 10-year Strategic Plan.

Since 2000, Caver also shared his time with academic institutions across the U.S. He began as an instructor at Cleveland State University, became an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Dallas in 2005, and recently served as an adjunct professor at Ohio University.

For his service to the Cleveland community, Cleveland State University honored Caver with the Outstanding Fellow Award in 2009 and Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015.

For APTA, Caver most recently served on the Safety Coordinating Council and was a member of the Bus Safety, Workforce Development, and Financial Management committees.

“We are devastated and heartbroken by the passing of our treasured friend and colleague, Dr. Floun’say Caver,” said India L. Birdsong Terry, GCRTA general manager and CEO. “For more than two decades, Dr. Caver served GCRTA and the Greater Cleveland community with extraordinary leadership, dedication, and care. His impact on our organization, our employees, our customers, and the public transportation industry is immeasurable. The honor to work alongside Dr. Caver was ours. He will be missed.”