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David L. Gunn

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For other persons also named David Gunn, see article David Gunn.

David L. Gunn is a transportation system administrator who has headed several important railroads and transit systems in North America.

Education and experience

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, to parents of Canadian ancestry, Gunn received a Bachelors degree from Harvard College in 1959, served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1959-1962, and received a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1964.

Gunn has the following work experience:

Early experience

Prior to 1974, Gunn also had gained private-sector railroad experience with Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, the New York Central Railroad System (before the Penn Central merger) and for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Before that, he had experience with the U.S. Navy in the Naval Reserve.

Toronto Transit Commission

Gunn has a philosophy called "state of good repair" where the first priority is to maintain infrastructure and equipment, making regular repairs where needed and retiring equipment from service at the end of its life-cycle. His tenure at the TTC was also marked by changes in management structure, which were criticized by some (including his successor, Rick Ducharme, in a July 1999 Toronto Star article). He also argued against new subway construction.

Toronto's only fatal subway train accident, the August 11 1995, collision which claimed three lives, happened only eight months after Gunn became head of the TTC.

Amtrak

Gunn assumed presidency of Amtrak in 2002, and was fired by the board of directors on November 9, 2005.[1]

When he was selected as Amtrak president, the 15-year long myth of Amtrak self-sufficiency had been well-exposed.[neutrality is disputed][citation needed] He came with a reputation as a strong, straightforward and experienced operating manager.[citation needed] Years earlier, Gunn's refusal to "do politics" put him at odds with the WMATA (Metro) board, which includes representatives from the District of Columbia and suburban jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia during his tenure from 1991-1994.[citation needed] His work as president of the New York City Transit Authority from 1984 to 1990 and as Chief General Manager of the Toronto Transit Commission in Canada from 1995-1999 earned him a great deal of operating credibility, despite his rough handling of politics and labor unions.[neutrality is disputed][citation needed] The two agencies were each the largest transit operations of their respective countries. Gunn's credentials are the strongest at the head of Amtrak since W. Graham Claytor came out of retirement by request in 1982.[neutrality is disputed][citation needed]

During his administration at Amtrak, Gunn was polite, but very direct in response to congressional criticism, and is seen as more credible than several past Amtrak presidents by the Congress, the media, and many Amtrak supporters and employees.[citation needed] Perhaps more than any past president of Amtrak, Gunn seemed willing to publicly oppose the political and budget positions of the President of the United States.[citation needed]

The view of the Gunn administration at Amtrak was that no form of mass passenger transportation in the United States is self-sufficient as the economy is currently structured. It said that highways, airports, and air traffic control all require large government expenditures to build and maintain, although some of those taxpayer dollars are gained for other modes under the guise of user fees and highway fuel and road taxes. Before a Congressional hearing, Gunn answered a demand by leading Amtrak critic Arizona Senator John McCain to eliminate all operating subsidies by asking the Senator if he would also demand the same of the commuter airlines, upon whom the citizens of Arizona are much more dependent. McCain, usually not at a loss for words when debating Amtrak funding, did not reply.[citation needed]

Some of Gunn's actions have been politically wise.[neutrality is disputed] He has been very proactive in reducing layers of management overhead and has eliminated almost all of the controversial express business.(?) He has stated that continued deferred maintenance will become a safety issue which he will not tolerate.[citation needed] This has improved labor relations to some extent, even as Amtrak's ranks of unionized and salaried workers have been reduced.[citation needed]

On November 9, 2005, Amtrak's Board of Directors fired Mr. Gunn. Chairman of the Board David Laney stated that "Amtrak's future now requires a different type of leader who will aggressively tackle the company's financial, management and operational challenges."[citation needed] Recent problems had included suspension of Acela service in the northeast corridor. A report issued by the Government Accountability Office one week before his dismissal stated that Amtrak needed to improve the way it monitors performance and oversees its finances in order to achieve financial stability.

Retirement plans

A dual citizen of the US and Canada, Gunn has retired to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. He has become associated with the Free Congress Foundation and Paul Weyrich since his separation from Amtrak.[2]

References

  1. ^ (November 9 2005), Amtrak Board Releases Gunn. Retrieved November 9 2005.
  2. ^ "Arrivals & Departures". Trains Magazine. 66 (3): p 11. 2006. ISSN 0041-0934. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
Preceded by Chief General Manager of the Toronto Transit Commission
1995–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Amtrak
2002-2005 		Succeeded by
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