HUMANITARIAN AWARD for MBTA GM

BOSTON – MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly A. Scott has been selected as the recipient of the Transportation Research Board (TRB)’s 2014 Sharon D. Banks Award for Humanitarian Leadership in Transportation. According to the TRB, Dr. Scott is being recognized for her attention to diversity, fairness, and equity and for her tireless efforts to improve the lives of others as well as to the attention she pays to the personal aspects of the decisions she makes and the impact of those decisions on the lives of those who depend on public transit for their livelihood is core to her recognition as a people-oriented transit manager.

“I am beyond honored to receive the TRB’s 2014 Banks Award,” said MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott. “I truly believe in the power of transportation as a force for positive change in people’s lives. Transportation is not just getting from point A to point B, it is how people are able to work, play and live their lives.”

Dr. Scott is responsible for managing the MBTA and overseeing the Commonwealth's 15 Regional Transit Authorities and MassDOT's freight and passenger rail program. Prior to coming to the MBTA Dr. Scott served as Chief Executive Officer/ General Manager of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). She was appointed to head MARTA in 2007 by the MARTA Board of Directors–the first female executive to hold this position.

Dr. Scott’s career in the public transportation industry spans more than three decades, and includes executive/senior leadership positions with some of the nation’s largest public transit systems including serving as General Manager of both the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SRTD) and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).

Dr. Scott is renowned throughout the North American transit industry for her visionary leadership, results-driven management style; and progressive approach to labor-management relations. Among her most notable industry contributions is her pivotal leadership role in the critical areas of strategic human resources planning, workforce development and employee training.

The Banks Award, which will be presented on January 15, 2014, during the TRB 93rd Annual Meeting, honors the memory of Sharon D. Banks, who was General Manager of AC Transit, Oakland, California, from 1991 to 1999 and who chaired the TRB Executive Committee in 1998. In honor of her passing in 1999, this award recognizes individuals whose accomplishments exemplify her ideals of humanity and service by making a significant difference in the lives of those who use, deliver, or support transportation services.

In 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) was created to unify the state’s various transportation agencies. MassDOT now includes the Highway Division, the MBTA and Mass Transit, Aeronautics, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. MassDOT is committed to providing a safe and reliable transportation system to all those who travel in the Commonwealth and works to deliver excellent customer service. MassDOT has been nationally recognized for its innovative approach to transportation, including the Accelerated Bridge Program, the “Where’s My Bus and Train?” apps and “Fast 14” work. For more information, visit MassDOT at our website: www.mass.gov/massdot.

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