Press Release  Governor Healey Appoints Monica Tibbits-Nutt as Secretary of Transportation

Boston — Governor Maura T. Healey today announced that she is appointing Monica Tibbits-Nutt as Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) effective today. Tibbits-Nutt has been serving as Acting Secretary since mid-September and was previously Undersecretary for Transportation.  

“Monica Tibbits-Nutt is a proven leader who has done important work at MassDOT over the past year as we’ve worked to make Massachusetts’ transportation system more reliable, safe and accessible,” said Governor Healey. “As Acting Secretary, she hit the ground running by working with the MBTA to prepare a first-of-its kind plan to fix the tracks by the end of next year, taking important steps to integrate climate planning across MassDOT, securing federal funding to support infrastructure needs, and stepping up for communities that were devastated by extreme weather. She prioritizes community engagement and equity at every turn. Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and I are confident that Secretary Tibbits-Nutt is the right person to lead the hardworking team at MassDOT and serve the people of Massachusetts.” 

“Secretary Tibbits-Nutt has been a deeply valued member of our team from day one, and our entire administration is thrilled to see her step into this well-deserved role,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “She has earned the respect of her colleagues and community partners, and I know that our transportation system is in good hands under her leadership.” 

“I am grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the opportunity to lead MassDOT as Secretary,” said Secretary Tibbits-Nutt. “Over the past year, I have had the privilege to serve alongside and get to know the incredible team at MassDOT. We all share a deep commitment to delivering the safe, reliable, resilient and equitable transportation system that the people of Massachusetts deserve. I am honored by the opportunity to lead the Department in this critical moment and build on the progress that the Healey-Driscoll Administration has made together.” 

About Monica Tibbits-Nutt 

Monica G. Tibbits-Nutt, AICP, LEED AP BD+C was sworn in as Acting Secretary for Transportation on September 11, 2023. She was previously appointed Undersecretary of Transportation by Governor Healey in January 2023. She also completed her tenure on the MassDOT Board of Directors and as the Vice-Chair of the Fiscal Management and Control Board (FMCB) that oversaw the MBTA from 2015-2021.  

For the past two months as Acting Secretary, she has: 

• Facilitated emergency construction and relief in the wake of the catastrophic flash flooding and property damage caused by the October 11 rainstorm. 

• Received more than $108 million in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program, which will lay the groundwork for construction of West-East Rail. 

• Submitted federal funding applications for the Cape Cod Bridges, the Allston Multimodal Project, the Vernon Hill project in Worcester, and the Schell Bridge. 

• Released $4.7m in Community Transit Grant awards directly to municipalities. 

• Received more than $4.57 million for infrastructure projects to improve road safety in Brockton, Haverhill, Lowell, and Somerville through a U.S. Department of Transportation Program. 

• Completed the Squires Bridge Project in Somerville in 25 days, on time and with minimal disruption to the 2023 Fluff Festival. The original projected timeline was 42 days. 

• Worked with the MBTA to prepare a first-of-its kind Track Improvement Plan and extended all MBTA ferry service into the late fall. 

• Moved forward in the process of standing up the first-ever Office of Transportation and Climate Planning and Policy as a shared service responsible for setting operational standards for both MassDOT and MBTA. 

As Undersecretary of MassDOT, she directed oversight over the Rail & Transit Division, Aeronautics Division, and the Office of Transportation Planning. 

Prior to accepting her current role, Secretary Tibbits-Nutt served as the Executive Director of 128 Business Council, a unique transportation management association and regional service provider that builds privately-funded, cooperative public transportation routes throughout the Route 128 West Corridor.  

Secretary Tibbits-Nutt's areas of specialty are regional and transportation planning, urban design, and transit equity. In both her work and research, she is particularly interested in capitalizing upon every opportunity to better educate transportation stakeholders and the public about all aspects of the planning process. As part of this focus on education, she serves as the Vice President of the non-profit Youth Engagement Planning (YEP!), which brings urban planning and community advocacy into K-12 environments.  

Secretary Tibbits-Nutt also commits a significant portion of her time to mentorship through her roles as a member of the Board of Advisors to The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, and, less officially, by making herself available to the students and young professionals she has met through guest lecturing and her membership in the American Planning Association, the Transportation Research Board, and other professional associations. Secretary Tibbits-Nutt serves on the Board of Directors of WTS International and the WTS Foundation, which seeks to create a more inclusive and equitable transportation industry and provides scholarships to female-identifying professionals and students, respectively; and on the Board of Trustees of TransitCenter, which works to support, inform, connect and fund civic and public leaders working to truly make transit better. 

Secretary Tibbits-Nutt is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design & Construction with the U.S. Green Building Council. Originally hailing from the rural Midwest, she is a first-generation college graduate. 

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