BATON ROUGE - William "Bill" Deville, who has served as CATS interim CEO, was voted by the board to the permanent position Tuesday night.

Deville has acted as interim CEO for the past several months and has worked in transportation for over 32 years. He spent over 22 years at the RTA in New Orleans and served as former CEO in his years there.

Jim Brandt, the board's chair, said that Deville has been a great asset in the past few months and will continue his assistance in the future.

"Bill has proven himself as a valuable asset for CATS, leading the agency in trying times in recent months," Brandt said. "He has a vision for the future of transit in Baton Rouge and the experience to improve the way CATS services the community."

Deville said that he is grateful for the support he's been given and looks forward to continuing improving CATS.

"I am grateful for the board's support and energized about the future of CATS and our city," Deville said. "I am looking forward to getting out in the community to meet more riders and, along with our dedicated team, am committed to improving CATS. Our community deserves a transit system that meets the needs of its riders, supports the productivity and growth of local businesses and aids in the reduction of traffic and congestion on our roads, all while focusing on safety."

Brandt and Deville are expected to negotiate a contract following the board's vote, which will take several days. A search committee made up of CATS board members and other community members selected Deville after two finalist were interviewed last week.