Governor Appoints New Members of the Department of Transportation Board of Directors

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BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey 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."   

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 and two children. 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 an Associate Professor holding the Douglas C. Elder Endowed Professorship in the Department of Construction Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He has over 40 years of professional experience in the private, public and academic sectors. Prior to joining the academia, Bhatti managed the consulting engineering firm of The Bhatti Group, Inc. (BGI) which he established in March of 1998. BGI was engaged on national and international projects. 

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. 

 
 
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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