It’s official: Gov. Maura Healey has appointed Monica Tibbits-Nutt as secretary of transportation, removing the acting title from a position she’s held for two months.
Healey made the announcement Monday, saying that Tibbits-Nutt is a “proven leader who has done important work at MassDOT over the past year” as her administration has worked to make the state’s public transportation system “more reliable, safe and accessible.”
The governor initially appointed Tibbits-Nutt as undersecretary of transportation upon taking office last January, but elevated her to acting secretary in mid-September. The former secretary, Gina Fiandaca, abruptly resigned after just nine months on the job.
“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,” Healey said in a statement.
She added, “Lt. Gov. 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.”
Prior to joining the Healey administration, Tibbits-Nutt was the executive director of 128 Business Council, an organization that builds privately-funded, cooperative public transportation routes through the Route 128 West Corridor.
She is a past member of the MassDOT Board of Directors and was vice chair of the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board, a previous iteration of the T board that oversaw the transit authority between 2015 and 2021.
As undersecretary of transportation, Tibbits-Nutt directed oversight for the MassDOT Rail and Transit Division, Aeronautics Division, and the Office of Transportation Planning, Healey’s office said.
Since taking over as acting secretary, Tibbits-Nutt has been responsible for the four divisions of MassDOT — Highway, Rail and Transit, Registry of Motor Vehicles and Aeronautics — and sits on the Board of Directors for Massport and the MBTA, according to the state website.
In a statement, Tibbits-Nutt said she was honored to more permanently take the helm at MassDOT “in this critical moment and build on the progress that the Healey-Driscoll administration has made together.”
The job pays $181,722, according to state payroll records.
“Over the past year, I have had the privilege to serve alongside and get to know the incredible team at MassDOT,” Tibbits-Nutt said. “We all share a deep commitment to delivering the safe, reliable, resilient and equitable transportation system that the people of Massachusetts deserve.”
