Frank DePaola, chief operating officer at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, has been named interim general manager of the MBTA.
The MassDOT board of directors voted unanimously on Wednesday to make DePaola the interim general manager of the embattled Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The interim position precludes DePaola from seeking the job on a permanent basis.
Outgoing MBTA GM Beverly Scott will still leave in April as previously announced. Scott announced earlier this month that she would be stepping down effective April 11 amid criticism of how her agency handled delays, suspensions and massive snowfall.
"With the depth and breadth of Frank's experience as an engineer, a manager, and a problem-solver, I have full confidence that he has the skill sets and capabilities to serve as Interim General Manager," MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack said. "I also want to thank Dr. Scott for her years of service and for her strong commitment to public transportation. We wish her the very best of luck in her next endeavor."
Scott said in a statement that she "cannot think of a better, more qualified person to take the reins" at the MBTA.
DePaola currently serves as highway administrator and MassDOT's chief operating officer. He joined MassDOT in 2009 as the assistant general manager for the MBTA's design and construction directorate. In that role, he directed and managed construction projects for the T, had oversight of capital spending and worked to ensure that projects were completed in a timely and cost-effective manner.
He served in that capacity until April 2011, when he was named MassDOT's highway administrator, responsible for the operations, maintenance and capital investments on the state highway system. He served as acting secretary of MassDOT from November of 2014 until Jan. 13, 2015, when Gov. Charlie Baker named Pollack MassDOT secretary and CEO.
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"I want to thank the Board of Directors for their trust in my abilities, and I am excited to take on this critical role at the MBTA," DePaola said. He added that he is looking forward to working to get to the root of the issues facing the state's public transit system.
"Once the issues are diagnosed, I look forward to helping implement a strategy to restore our system to full strength, and restoring our customers' faith in our ability to provide safe, reliable, efficient transit service."
MassDOT said Thomas Timlin, MassDOT's chief of highway operations and maintenance, will serve as acting highway administrator. Timlin served as Boston's commissioner of transportation for over a decade before joining MassDOT in December of 2013.
Both appointments are effective March 4, 2015.
