Richard A. Davey is the Secretary and CEO of MassDOT
Governor Deval Patrick has announced the resignation of MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey. Secretary Davey’s resignation is effective as of November 1st. In his place, Governor Patrick has appointed Frank DePaola as Acting Secretary and CEO for MassDOT for the remained of his term.
“Rich Davey has been a key member of my team and one of the finest transportation leaders the Commonwealth has ever had. He has been instrumental in our work to provide every region of this state with a safer, more efficient transportation system, a growing economy and a better quality of life,” said Governor Patrick. “I thank him for his service and wish him every good thing in the future.”
Secretary Davey has served as the MassDOT Secretary and CEO since 2011
Secretary Davey, who took over the helm at MassDOT in September 2011, has been the longest serving Transportation Secretary since 1997. Prior to becoming the MassDOT Secretary, Mr. Davey served as the General Manager of the MBTA as well as the General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail Company (the former commuter rail provider for the Commonwealth).
Secretary Davey, who does not own an automobile, made it a priority during his tenure to be accessible to the public, attending over 100 public meetings, using Twitter and being an avid rider on the MBTA. Under his stewardship, MassDOT became a more fiscally-responsible and efficient agency by implementing a much needed Transportation Reform program which saw the merging of various agencies under the MassDOT umbrella as well as a reduction in duplication, waste and inefficiencies throughout the entire Transportation Department. For example, Secretary Davey helped end MassDOT’s 23-year practice of paying day-to-day expenses on the state capital budget, putting more projects under the Accelerated Bridge Program, implementing the real-time traffic system and MBTA countdown clocks and most recently transitioning the Tobin Bridge to a Cashless Toll System.
“It has been the greatest joy and honor of my career serving as Transportation Secretary over the last three years,” said Davey. “I am deeply appreciative of the Governor for giving me the opportunity to serve and for being so supportive of our work. Thanks to the Governor’s leadership, we’ve stood up to the challenges of hurricanes, tornados, blizzards and a terrorist bombing. Together, we’ve shaped a new, reformed department focused on safety, customer service, our employees, fiscal responsibility and innovation. And, we’ve renewed the public’s confidence in transportation by investing wisely in projects and initiatives all across the state – projects and initiatives that are creating jobs, improving the quality of life for our fellow citizens and ultimately leaving the Commonwealth better off than when we found it.”
Administrator DePaola will take over as Secretary and CEO on November 1st
Administrator Frank DePaola will take over Secretary Davey’s position on Novmber 1st.
“I have the utmost confidence in Frank and am glad he has agreed to step up and fill this critical post,” said Governor Patrick. “Frank is a level-headed leader and creative problem solver who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to safe transportation for the people of Massachusetts.”
A resident of West Bridgewater, Administrator DePaola has been the MassDOT Highway Division Administrator since 2011. Prior to his tenure at the Highway Division, he was the Assistant General Manager for Design and Construction at the the MBTA. Having worked in government for many years, he also has held various positions at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Boston Water and Sewer Commission and Harvard University.
A civil engineer, Mr. DePaola holds an MS in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
“I thank the Governor for his trust in me and for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity,” said DePaola. “We will continue to ensure our entire transportation network best serves the people who rely on it as we have done throughout the Administration.”
