Michael Scroggins
Manager of Marketing, Customer Relations and Technology
Embark
- Alma Mater: University of Central Oklahoma
- Fun Fact: Scroggins was a vocal music major and as performed in several operas and even Constitution Hall and Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. He most recently performed in Austria for the president of Austria at the Hayden Festival
- Favorite TV Show: "Suits"
- Favorite Hobby: Gardening
Michael Scroggins joined Embark in 2008 and as the manager of Marketing, Customer Relations and Technology has developed programs and processes that will have a lasting impact on the image and success of public transportation in Oklahoma City.
Embark provides more than 3 million passenger trips per year through its fixed-route bus service and also serves the needs of citizens with a growing paratransit service and social service transportation division. Embark also operates five downtown parking garages and provides maintenance for all parking meters in the city.
Upon joining Embark, Scroggins expanded the role marketing played within the organization by adding an additional staff person and developing a relationship with a local public relations firm. As a result of his marketing efforts, Emabark has since received several ADDY awards and American Public Transportation Association (APTA) AdWheel awards.
Scroggins manages Embark’s customer service call center, supervising a team of customer service representatives, and he created a data-driven approach to managing the center. The new approach includes a suite of reports that allow him to monitor and manage metrics, such as call volume, dropped calls and the percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds.
His most recent advances in customer service include developing the capability to allow calls to be monitored for employee coaching sessions and launching the mobile customer service application “EmbarkConnect.” The application allows customers to submit action items electronically with automatic geo-coding and customers have the ability to attach pictures of the issue and request a follow-up once the issue has been resolved.
Scroggins also created an Information Technology division within the agency. Prior to this, Embark was reliant on the support of Oklahoma City’s IT department for IT-related projects. With Scroggins’ leadership, Embark now has a full-time IT professional on staff. He leveraged this new expertise to assist in the deployment of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that includes automatic vehicle locators, real-time bus arrival information, electronic wayside signage and a journey planner.
Scroggins played a lead role in the rebranding Metro Transit to the new, Embark. With the rebranding, the agency’s image is being reshaped in the community and has included new system maps, schedules, bus stop signage and even employee uniforms and bus wrap design. Scroggins has since been tasked with rebranding Embark’s Spokies bike-share program and establishing the brand for the Oklahoma City Streetcar, which will be an Embark service operational in 2018.
At the regional and national level, Scroggins serves as the agency representative for the city’s emergency operations center and serves on the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Marketing & Communications Committee.
Outside of public transportation, Scroggins works with a group called Arise Ministries, which helps single moms. Every year the organization puts on a conference and Scroggins helps with marketing, graphic design and other aspects to assist in promoting and gaining sponsorships. In its first year there were about 100 participants and this year there were nearly 900 registered and close to 900 children registered for the daycare that will be provided for.
“There are built-in things that you as an individual, and sometimes you as an organization, have no control over. Whether it’s funding or whether it’s just resources aren’t available, those are probably the most challenging. I’m amazed every day because we find people who have creative ideas for how to overcome those obstacles. It’s again rewarding in that aspect because you say, we’re not going to let that stop us from doing what we need to do and taking care of business every day.”
“I”m fortunate to have their [parents] amazing work ethic and values as an example my entire life. It’s from their example they taught me how to be compassionate in that to put other people first
“We have a modern streetcar coming up, we’ve been making improvements to our bus service and we have a ferry transit system and most recently we’ve added bikeshare. I find that all of those things are exciting because each day they bring totally different and diverse set of problems but also opportunities to make an impact in your community.”
