After a months-long national search, Carl DePinto was selected as the new director for parking and transportation services.
DePinto, previous director of Parking for the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, will replace interim director Melissa Harden—who has filled the interim role since April—beginning Oct. 16. During his 15-year career in the parking business, DePinto has built and managed successful parking operations at large hospitals and has organized parking for major events. In his new role at Duke, DePinto will oversee several major projects which Duke PTS is currently working on.
“Carl has direct experience—especially in areas we are going to face,” Vice President of Administration Kyle Cavanaugh said.
DePinto will be responsible for parking and transportation within both the University and the Health System.
Prior to his role as director of Parking for New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, DePinto served as the operations and parking consultant for the Hackensack University Medical Center and senior director of operations and development for Professional Parking LLC. His work with operations in the Tri-State Area involves services for major televised events including professional tennis tournaments and other large gatherings.
Cavanaugh said that DePinto's prior work, as well as his experience with construction and renovation, will contribute to the success of major initiatives which Duke PTS is currently pursuing.
Duke PTS intends to build a strategic approach to the parking and transportation operations, Cavanaugh said, explaining that it is currently implementing new technologies to better serve the Duke community.
“It has a lot of history that needs to be addressed in terms of bringing more rational and efficient systems together,” he said.
There will be significant renovations to each of the existing garages and surface lots, Cavanaugh said. The department is also building a new garage on the corner of Science Dr. and 751, which will hold approximately 2,000 parking spots. DePinto will contribute largely to these projects and oversee what Cavanaugh labels “supply and demand” management, a system that focuses on customer service.
“It’s about ensuring that we've got the most efficient use of the inventory of spaces that we have and ensuring that this operation can be economically self-sufficient,” Cavanaugh said.
The department will also be looking at how the entire transportation system, including buses and shuttles, works together with systems connected both within the city and across the triangle. Services will look comprehensively at transportation across all of the Duke enterprises as well as individual communities from which graduate students and employees commute.
Prior to Harden's term as interim director, Sam Veraldi filled the position for nearly four years. In the Spring, he accepted a position as a visiting associate professor in the markets and managements studies program.
“It’s a big job [DePinto] is stepping into,” Cavanaugh said. “But he’s well-positioned and we are excited to have him join the Duke team.”
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