Ms. Chase was appointed by Governor Patrick on Wednesday, November 19th
Governor Deval Patrick has appointed Zipcar Founder and form CEO Robin Chase to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Board of Directors.
“Robin has brought inspired leadership and world class innovation to the field of transportation,” said Governor Patrick. “Her vision and expertise will be a great addition to the important deliberations of the MassDOT Board.”
A Wellesley Graduate who then went on to receive the MIT’s Sloan School of Manangement, Ms. Chase co-founded the car-sharing company Zipcar in Boston, over a decade ago. After leaving Zipcar, which was acquired last year by Avis, Ms. Chase went on to start Buzzcar, a car-sharing marketplace in France as well as GoLoco, an online ridesharing community. Ms. She also serves as the Executive Chairman of Veniam Works, a vehicle mesh communications company.
In addition to her new position on the MassDOT Board of Directors, Ms. Chase is also on the Board of the World Resources Institute, the National Advisory Council for Innovation & Entrepreneurship for the US Department of Commerce, and the OECD’s International Transport Forum Advisory Board. In the past she has served on the Intelligent Transportations Systems Program Advisory Committee for the US Department of Transportation, the Massachusetts Governor’s Transportation Transition Working Group, and Boston Mayor’s Wireless Task Force.
As for awards, Ms. Chase who is also a frequent speaker, has been the recipient of several awards in the areas of innovation, design and environment, including the Time 100 Most Influential People, Fast Company’s Fast 50 Innovators and Business Week’s Top 10 Designers.
What does the MassDOT Board of Directors do?
The MassDOT Board of Directors is a seven-member board which serves as the governing body of both MassDOT and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The MassDOT Secretary of Transportation serves as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of the Transportation Division, who is charged with the administration of the Division. Both the Secretary and the Board of Directors are appointed by the Governor.
The first meeting of the MassDOT Board of Directors took place this week. After attending her first meeting, Ms. Chase tweeted the following:
