CapMetro Board of Directors Swears in New Member & Approves Chief Administrator for the Transit Police
AUSTIN, TX (June 27, 2022) – CapMetro’s Board of Directors swore in a new board member and approved the hiring of a Chief Administrator for the agency’s police department during their regular monthly board meeting on Monday.
William M. (“Matt”) Harriss will serve as CAMPO’s appointee to the CapMetro Board of Directors with experience as a financial or accounting professional. He has years of financial experience, currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer for the Butler Family Interests, which handles the business and personal affairs for the family of former Austin Mayor Roy A. Butler. In that role, he oversees the financial and administrative team for Capitol Wright Distributing, the 17th largest wholesale beverage distributorship in the United States, with around 5,000 customers.
Harriss has also previously worked as an administrator for a large law firm in Austin, as well as the Assistant Dean for Business Affairs at the University of Texas School of Law.
Both he and his wife have lived in Austin for over 40 years.
In addition, the CapMetro Board approved the hiring of Eric Robins to become the Chief Administrator - Transit Police effective August 1, 2022. Robins, a native Texan, is coming to the agency with 30 years of experience in law enforcement, most recently serving as the Chief of Police for Sugar Land, Texas.
“There’s so much to look forward to at CapMetro,” said Board Chair Jeff Travillion. “Both Matt Harriss and Eric Robins have stellar reputations and will bring great experience to the agency. I’m happy to welcome Matt to the Board, as I know he’ll bring thoughtful insight to help CapMetro continue serving our community in the most equitable manner possible. As for Eric, he’s been in law enforcement for a long time, and he has a passion for working with and building trust with community members.”
Robins earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Houston-Downtown and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University. He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police and the FBI National Academy. Currently, Robins is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and the Texas Police Chief’s Association.
The Board of Directors voted to approve a resolution in 2021 to create the Transit Police. The agency is currently working towards completing the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) requirements necessary to establish a sworn police department. CapMetro expects to be certified by TCOLE by 2024, at which point Robins’ position would become the Chief of Police and transit police would begin operating on the CapMetro system.
“There’s a lot to be excited about at CapMetro,” said interim President and CEO Dottie Watkins. “The agency is growing quickly and we’re adding members to our team who really care about the service we provide to this great community. I welcome Board Member Harriss and Eric to CapMetro, and I look forward to the expertise they will provide.”
You can email the Capital Metro Board of Directors at: boardofdirectors@capmetro.org. Messages sent to this address are forwarded to all members of the Board via Capital
Metro staff.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tawaun Cole
CCR-Communications@CapMetro.org
Blythe Nebeker
CCR-Communications@CapMetro.org