GRTC has never had a female chief executive. Nor did any of its predecessor public transit companies.

That is not changing as the bus company moves to replace David Green, who announced last week that he would step down as GRTC’s chief executive officer at the end of the month.

According to GRTC spokeswoman Carrie Rose Pace, Sheryl Adams, the company’s chief operating officer, passed on the chance to serve as interim CEO and break the glass ceiling.

Ms. Pace said Ms. Adams was offered the interim position, but “expressed her desire to remain the COO and was, therefore, not made interim. This was Ms. Adams’ decision.”

On Tuesday, GRTC announced that Charles Mitchell, the company’s former chief operating officer, will come out of retirement to lead the transit company during the search for the next top executive.

Mr. Mitchell served as interim CEO in 2013 for about six weeks between the departure of retiring CEO Eldridge Coles, now a GRTC board member, and the arrival of Mr. Green.

Mr. Mitchell retired in 2015 after 23 years with GRTC serving in various roles, including director of maintenance and operations manager. — JEREMY M. LAZARUS