Bay State News

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey today announced new appointments to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Board of Directors. For the first time, the board will have representation from a member of the disability community, Dr. Lisa Iezzoni. Governor Healey  also appointed to the board Thomas M. McGee, who served as the Mayor of the City of Lynn from 2018-2022; Rick Dimino, current President Emeritus of A Better City after serving as the President and CEO from 1995 to April 2023; and Ilyas Bhatti, Associate Professor holding the Douglas C. Elder Endowed Professorship in the Department of Construction Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston.  

“Our administration is committed to ensuring that our state’s transportation system is safe, reliable and accessible for all, and we’re confident that this talented, diverse group of leaders will drive that work on the DOT Board of Directors,” said Governor Healey. “We are particularly proud to be appointing a member of the disability community for the first time in the board’s history. As a user of the DOT and MBTA systems herself, Dr. Iezzoni will bring a critical perspective to this board that will help us ensure that our transportation system is accessible for people with disabilities.”   

“Every community in Massachusetts relies on our transportation system, so it’s essential that we make sure every community is represented at the decision-making table,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “These new appointments to DOT’s Board of Directors reflect our commitment to being an administration for every region of Massachusetts and to bringing people with diverse experiences and backgrounds together to drive change." 

“I’m pleased to welcome our new members to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca. “Together, they bring a wealth of lived experiences and expertise that is crucial in serving our communities throughout the Commonwealth. We are focused on creating safe, equitable, and reliable transportation for all and I look forward to working with the MassDOT Board to further these goals.” 

Dr. Iezzoni  

Lisa I. Iezzoni is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, based at the Health Policy Research Center and the Mongan Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital. For 25 years, her research has focused on improving the lived experiences, healthcare quality, and health equity of adults with disability, particularly mobility disability. Iezzoni obtained her MD and MSc in health policy and management from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, respectively. Her early career focused on risk adjustment methods and assessing quality of care. Dr. Iezzoni speaks widely, and she has served on numerous committees and advisory boards of professional and governmental organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Medicine, the National Quality Forum, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. 

Thomas M. McGee 

Tom McGee served as Mayor of the City of Lynn from 2018 to 2022. Previously, he served as Massachusetts State Senator from the Third Essex district. He was a member of the Senate Joint Committee on Transportation starting in 2003 and served as Chair of the committee from 2011 to 2018. Before his election to the Senate in 2002, McGee served four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he represented West Lynn and Nahant. Prior to holding office, McGee practiced law at Quinn and Morris (1990-1994) and served as an Assistant District Attorney for Essex County (1988-1990). McGee is a life-long resident of Lynn where he lives with his wife Maria. He has 2 children Thomas and Katherine. He is committed to improving the state's transportation system and strongly supports regional equity. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at the St Mary's School in Lynn. He is also a member of the Pickering Middle School Building Committee in Lynn. In April, Governor Healey appointed McGee to the MBTA Board of Directors.  

Ricard A. Dimino  

Richard currently serves as President Emeritus of A Better City after serving as the President and CEO from 1995 to April 2023. Under his leadership, A Better City achieved major organizational accomplishments and influenced a wide range of city and regional infrastructure projects. Prior to leading A Better City, Dimino served the City of Boston as Commissioner of Transportation from 1985-1993, where he oversaw a staff of 400, represented the City on MBTA advisory boards and committees, and developed all related infrastructure projects and policies. He also served as the Chairperson of the City of Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel Project interagency task force. Dimino then held a position as Vice President and Deputy Manager of Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation's Transportation Business Sector. Dimino received his Master's in Business Administration from Boston University in 1994 and is a 1978 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Northeastern University. In 1991, he completed a Loeb Fellowship in urban policy and transportation planning at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He then served as a lecturer at Harvard GSD for 17 years and served as a lecturer at Boston University School of management. Dimino had a chance to serve on the Healey-Driscoll administration pre-election transition team. Current and past boards Dimino has served on include the Boston Children’s Museum, Boston Society of Architects and Foundation, Freedom Trail Foundation, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. 

Ilyas Bhatti  

Bhatti, P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE is currently Associate Professor and Dean of the School of Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston. His teaching experience spans over 20 years – 5 years as adjunct professor and 15 years as a full-time professor. Prior to joining academia, Bhatti provided consulting services on national and international projects. In the public sector, Bhatti served as the Commissioner of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), a predecessor agency to the current Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), from 1989 – 1995 in the Dukakis and Weld administrations. In 1995, he was appointed by Governor Weld to oversee the construction of the most complex transportation project in the nation – Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T) project as Associate Project Director. Under his supervision, the Ted Williams Tunnel connecting Interstate 90 with Logan International Airport was completed. 

The MassDOT Board of Directors serves as the governing authority for MassDOT. The MassDOT Board is comprised of eleven members who are appointed by the Governor. Each member is required to fulfill specific criteria with expertise in transportation, finance, and/or engineering. The Secretary of Transportation is the Chair of the Board. 

The board membership now includes: 

• Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca – Chair  
• Joe Beggan - Municipal Government Experience in one of the "14 cities and towns" (as defined in Section 1 of Chapter 161A) Seat 
• Ilyas Bhatti – Experience in Civil Engineering Seat 
• Rick Dimino – Public/Private Finance Seat    
• Dr. Lisa Iezzoni – MBTA Rider Seat  
• Timothy King – AFL-CIO Seat 
• Mayor Tom Koch - Municipal Government Experience in one of the "51 Cities" (as defined in Section 1 of Chapter 161A) Seat 
• Dean Mazzarella - Municipal Government Experience in one of the "other served" communities (as defined in Section 1 of Chapter 161A) Seat  
• Thomas M. McGee - Experience in Public/Private Finance or Transportation Planning & Policy Seat 
• Vanessa Otero – Experience in Transportation Planning & Policy Seat  

Due to a recent vacancy, the Healey-Driscoll Administration expects to soon also fill the Municipal Government Experience in a city or town not part of the MBTA district (as defined in Section 1 of Chapter 161A) seat. 

Original source can be found here.