DRPA's first Black chairman promises 'transparency'

Ryan Boyer has gone from humble beginnings to become the first African-American chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority. He is one of Gov. Tom Wolf’s six appointees to the 16-member board.

The DRPA is a regional transportation agency that operates four toll bridges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the PATCO rail line.

Boyer, 44, is business manager of the Laborers’ District Council of Metropolitan Philadelphia and Vicinity, which represents 5,000 construction workers.

The North Philadelphia native grew up in a working-class family. His father had been a president of Local 32. After graduating from Roxborough High School, Boyer attended West Chester University. He started working as a laborer on Philadelphia Housing Authority sites before becoming the Laborers District Council business manager. He also serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority.

After his 20-year-old brother was fatally shot on Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia in January, he became impassioned about reaching community youths. He often speaks at schools in an effort to interact with them.

“I believe that we have to grab our young people and let them know that there is opportunity out there beyond selling drugs on the corner,” Boyer said. “I tell them that I come from the same streets that you came from — if I can make it, then you can make it. I’m not the smartest guy, I’m not the tallest guy and I’m not the most good-looking guy, but I’m hard-working, and if you work hard there is an opportunity for you in Philadelphia.”

As the new DRPA chairman, Boyer said he wants to focus on fairness, equity, inclusion and ensuring the agency is more open and transparent to the public.

“When I came in we did a management audit and now we are embarking on a strategic plan so that we have some forethought and a strategic vision,” said Boyer, who was elected chairman in March. “The management audit told us what we needed and what we didn’t need, so we’re trying to weed out waste and fraud.

“We have to get back to the core mission of what the DRPA is, and that is to make sure our assets are safe, make sure that our customers are safe on PATCO, make sure what we are doing is transparent to the public, and make sure any economic benefit that we have includes diversity and is fully inclusive of the diversity of this region.”

Last year, DRPA paid $20 million to certified disadvantaged, minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. Since the authority started its nondiscrimination programs in 1994, more than $300 million hane been paid to such enterprises.

Boyer has advocated for pay raises for DRPA workers. After years of working without a raise, nonunion workers, who make up about 32 percent of the agency’s 861 employees, recently received merit raises ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 percent. Contracts for the agency’s unionized workers are still under negotiation.

“We do have people who have been working without a contract for quite some time, but we look forward to concluding those contracts within the next month or so,” Boyer said.

Earlier this month, the DRPA board of commissioners voted to approve a commuter credit for frequent users of the authority’s four bridges — the Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Betsy Ross and Commodore Barry.

Under this program, New Jersey E-Z Pass commuters who make 18 or more round-trip bridge crossings during a calendar month will receive an $18 monthly account credit. The commuter credit applies only to non-commercial passenger vehicles, including motorcycles and small trucks that are 7,000 pounds and less. The commuter credit allows nearly 30,000 E-Z Pass customers to save up to $216 a year.

“We are in a strong financial position and we think we should pass that on to the consumer,” Boyer said.

The bridge toll revenues are used to use to subsidize the PATCO line, maintain the DRPA’s bridges and real estate assets and fund capital improvement projects.

The DRPA board recently adopted a resolution authorizing the creation of a diversity and inclusion subcommittee of the labor committee. The new subcommittee will oversee and promote the authority’s diversity and inclusion policies, initiatives and goals.

Boyer wants African Americans to be aware of the employment and contracting opportunities that exist with the agency.

The DRPA is hosting a special vendor outreach event on Aug. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the agency’s headquarters, One Port Center, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden, N.J.

“This special event demonstrates the authority’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion and to equal contracting opportunities for all vendors interested in doing business with the authority, including minority, women and disadvantaged business enterprises,” said Jeffery Nash, DRPA board vice chairman.

During the event, the authority will announce a new pilot program geared toward vendors of janitorial supplies, safety equipment, fasteners and gloves — some of the agency’s most used items.

“This event is part of the authority’s mission and stewardship efforts to bring value to the public, we serve,” said DRPA CEO and PATCO President John H. Hanson. “Instead of multiple small, less efficient purchases throughout the year of frequently needed items, the DRPA hopes to streamline the process and award larger contracts to area vendors.”

Source: Philadelphia Tribune