November 22nd, 2023

In the news: Monica Tibbits-Nutt

After two months as acting state secretary of transportation, Monica Tibbits-Nutt has taken on the cabinet position on a permanent basis.

Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey appointed Tibbits-Nutt Nov. 13 to fill the position she assumed on an acting basis in mid-September after the resignation of Gina Fiandaca. The new permanent secretary is a specialist in regional and transportation planning, urban design and transit equity.

Previously, Tibbits-Nutt was undersecretary of transportation in the Healey administration. She had played other major roles as a member of the MassDOT Board of Directors and as the vice chair of the Fiscal Management and Control Board that oversaw the MBTA from 2015 to 2021 under former governor Charlie Baker. 

“Monica Tibbits-Nutt is a proven leader who has done important work at MassDOT over the past year as we’ve worked to make Massachusetts’ transportation system more reliable, safe and accessible,” Healey said.

“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,” the governor added.

For her part, Tibbits-Nutt said: “Over the past year, I have had the privilege to serve alongside and get to know the incredible team at MassDOT. We all share a deep commitment to delivering the safe, reliable, resilient and equitable transportation system that the people of Massachusetts deserve. I am honored by the opportunity to lead the Department in this critical moment.”

Originally hailing from the rural Midwest, Tibbits-Nutt is a first-generation college graduate. According to her LinkedIn page, she earned bachelor’s degrees in science, political science and sociology from the University of Southern Indiana and a master’s in city and regional planning from The Ohio State University.

She came to the Boston area from Ohio about 2007 to work for TransitWorks, now Driverge, which builds commercial shuttles, transporters and mobility vans.

local news, Monica Tibbits-Nutt