Posted by Scott D. Yost | Jul 3, 2024 | News
Former Greensboro City Manager “Tai” Jaiyeoba – who departed Greensboro government earlier this year under some quite controversial circ*mstances – has been hired as the national transit planning director for Lochner, a company that provides a wide range of transportation and transportation infrastructure services.
According to an announcement of the hiring by Lochner, “Tai brings to the role 30 years of public and private sector experience overseeing bus rapid transit, light rail, and streetcar/urban circulator initiatives across the US, as well as comprehensive land use plans, transit master plans, corridor plans, and unified/land development ordinances.”
Lochner, which was founded in 1944, is a Chicago-based infrastructure services provider for aviation, surface transportation and water transportation customers.
The company’s stated mission is to “empower our team to put their knowledge to work, enhancing communities across the nation.”
Lochner’s announcement of its new hire notes that Jaiyeoba recently served as Greensboro’s city manager – though the statement, of course, does not note the controversial nature of his departure from that job.
The press release from the company states that, while in Greensboro, Jaiyeoba established the city’s first transit department and began the creation of a long-term transportation plan meant to guide transportation efforts for the next two decades.
Lochner National Transit and Rail Director Gary Thomas said of Jaiyeoba, “Many American cities are looking at cost effective ways to quickly upgrade and expand their public transit offering and make critical infrastructure improvements in the process. Tai’s unique blend of hands-on City Manager experience and successful BRT/LRT/Streetcar delivery experience can help urban leaders plan, fund, and execute public transport solutions that connect people and places and enhance quality of life.”
On Thursday, Dec. 28 and Friday, Dec. 29 of 2023, several 911 calls came from Jaiyeoba’s home with one call being deemed a “physical domestic disturbance” call. Another 911 call was a request for an escort from the house on December 29.
The incident report noted that Jaiyeoba and two family members had “apparent minor injuries.”
That series of events was followed by an effort by many Greensboro residents to convince the Greensboro City Council to release the police body-cam videos pertaining to the situation.
Amid the controversy, Jaiyeoba stepped down as city manager.
And he’s now landed as the national transportation director for Lochner.
A sample of Tai’s portfolio includes Michigan’s Silver Line BRT; CMAX BRT in Columbus, Ohio; the Memphis Area Circulator; the Winston-Salem Urban Circulator; Greensboro’s Hopper Trolley; the Sacramento Blue Line Extension LRT; and the Sacramento Green Line to the Airport LRT – in addition to supporting various Transit-Oriented Development projects.
The former Greensboro city manager serves on the National Steering Committee for the Housing Supply Accelerator — a joint effort of the American Planning Association and the National League of Cities — and he’s also a member of the International City/County Managers Association, the American Planning Association, and the American Public Transportation Association.
Jaiyeoba is an alumnus of the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Before becoming the city manager of Greensboro, Jaiyeoba held the role of director of planning and assistant city manager for the City of Charlotte, where he oversaw several transit systems and mobility initiatives for the Queen City.
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Scott D. Yost
30 Comments
Jvon July 3, 2024 at 5:47 PM
LOL!
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Carteron July 3, 2024 at 5:50 PM
Ugh!
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MILLER FORESTERon July 3, 2024 at 5:50 PM
Career Poly 101.
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Just Sayinon July 5, 2024 at 7:32 AM
See AlsoA billionaire is boosting a major defamation lawsuit against Fox NewsYoung mom enlisted former Sage & Salt chef to help start new Triad wine bar and coffee shopOnce Greensboro's 'best community partner,' the IRC finds itself under scrutinyYear 8 in the disappearance of Tyarra WilliamsLibtard gets job in libtard city with inflated resumé. He should blend right in up there. I’m sure the company is largely funded by government grants & subsidies. Public transit systems are just a scam to buy votes. Show me any that break even or turn a profit rather than mooch off the taxpayer teat. I sure hope he told Lochner that the Greensboro trolley was nothing more than bolting some sheet metal, a few seat covers, and an expensive wrap onto retired worn out buses that were already taken out of service. There’s an old saying in government, it’s much easier to replace something you have than to request the purchase of something new. Lipstick on a pig is frequently used & abused for just this purpose. Grants often help start that cycle by buying the lipstick so that John & Jane Q get stuck paying for the whole pig next year. There’s no free money.
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Austin Morrison July 3, 2024 at 6:01 PM
Good. Bye!
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American believeron July 3, 2024 at 6:07 PM
Wish him luck, unfortunately as a former public official his world was transparent.
“Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones “.Reply
MLon July 3, 2024 at 6:11 PM
Good for him. Glad he is gone from Greensboro.
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Phil Davison July 3, 2024 at 6:12 PM
So when Is the body worn camera footage going to be released so that Greensboro’s f*ckless Chief of Police can be held accountable for giving his officers unlawful orders regarding the city manager incident. His orders violated both city policy and state law.
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Jim Donaldsonon July 3, 2024 at 6:28 PM
Good for Taiwo and Chicago! Since he left Greensboro in a catastrophic mess, only he could do the same for Chicago. That is if Chicago can get any worse?
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Tyruson July 4, 2024 at 7:48 AM
Good for him! Congrats on the new job! If they had personal family matters and want to keep it that way, I say it’s smart. We all have family members we want to fight every so often, but that’s none of our business. Mind yours and all will be fine.
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Rebelon July 4, 2024 at 6:19 PM
Maybe you can get a job with him emptying his tray cans
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Garyon July 3, 2024 at 6:28 PM
Our loss is Chicago’s gain.
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Alan Marshallon July 4, 2024 at 9:45 PM
And they deserve it
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kenon July 3, 2024 at 6:56 PM
“….while in Greensboro, Jaiyeoba established the city’s first transit department…” Is this true? We had buses long before he showed up. Plus, anything he did was a mayor, meaning some lower level person/staff did all the work. Has Jai been exaggerating on his resume? It appears he is particularly talented at selling him self.
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Jashandleon July 3, 2024 at 8:20 PM
He will fit right in with all the misfits in Chicago!
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Fedupon July 3, 2024 at 8:49 PM
He is gone. Who cares what he is doing?
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Bryan Hochsteinon July 3, 2024 at 9:30 PM
Good riddance to the Zack Matheny of Greensboro. So tired of morons failing up.
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Scooteron July 3, 2024 at 11:33 PM
Let’s hear all the 911 calls to Zack Matheny’s house!
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Janeon July 3, 2024 at 10:00 PM
You are so obsessed with this man. Glad he doing well and out of Greensboro. Let his past go! Other public figures have domestic problems too. They just aren’t publicized like this man’s was.
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Dick Fitzgoodntiteon July 4, 2024 at 7:08 AM
Scott sure does leave Zack Matheny alone. They must be Irving Park drinking buddies.
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Austin Morrison July 5, 2024 at 5:32 PM
Well, Little Bryan (his first name) sure does like a drink….
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robertoon July 3, 2024 at 11:03 PM
He’s part of the massive DEI industry that is expert at spending taxpayer money on ill conceived projects that begin over budget and get worse.
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Lexon July 4, 2024 at 11:02 PM
What does DEI have to do with over budget ill conceived projects? Nothing. Seems like the term DEI is the new “woke”, which the Fox News crowd never could define, but is surely something liberal and bad.
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Freedom zealoton July 4, 2024 at 8:45 AM
I remember when a local businessman and promoter of downtown Greensboro, furnished a “trolley” bus around 2000! I think city mgmt didnt like that. Nothing new under the sun, especially GSO mgmt! Copied Lexington’s pigs with their stupid ‘pants’ for a city that no longer has a major denim factory! SMH!
ps Chicago is the perfect place for this dude.Reply
larry keckon July 4, 2024 at 8:46 AM
Chicago is far enough away. He can be the CEO of Chicago. Good riddance.
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Itaon July 4, 2024 at 11:19 AM
Ohh, you forgot the part where he was hired as interim City Manager of Zebulon, another successful venture.
Tai was and will continue to be a successful and accomplished professional despite the attempted sabotage by the likes of Zach Matheny, who isn’t exactly a saint. We can see right through the undertones.
This is no different than being obsessed with your ex after they’ve moved on. You wanted him gone, he’s gone and moved on to greater heights. Get over it!
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Rebelon July 4, 2024 at 6:22 PM
Ita would you like a crying towel
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Ivana whinaloton July 5, 2024 at 7:39 AM
A towel is too nice. I’ll donate some “gently used” toilet paper.
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JOEon July 4, 2024 at 4:20 PM
So. . . I see my comment was excluded. As the church lady says. . . “How convenient!”
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Billon July 5, 2024 at 4:59 PM
Another GUN slinger moves on to the next un-suspecting client to make the world or company a better place until he is debunked and told to move on.
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