Rock Region hires firm for CEO hunt

The Rock Region METRO Board of Directors will hire consulting firm Baker Tilly to lead the search for a new chief executive officer.

In November, Rock Region CEO Charles Frazier announced he would be stepping down in December to become a senior vice president and chief operating officer with the Jacksonville, Fla., Transportation Authority.

Frazier, a transit executive from Florida, replaced Jarod Varner when he left the Central Arkansas transit agency in August 2017. Baker Tilly was the search firm the Rock Region board tapped for the the search that resulted in Frazier’s hiring.

Baker Tilly provided the Rock Region board a quote of $26,500 to conduct the search, the lowest quote from the four search firms the board considered.

The board unanimously approved the decision to hire Baker Tilly at a meeting Tuesday.

“We’ve got experience with them and they brought us a rock star,” said Bruce Moore, Little Rock city manager and Rock Region board member.