BOSTON, MA — Governor Maura T. Healey announces that she is appointing Monica Tibbits-Nutt, AICP, LEED AP BD+C as Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Tibbits-Nutt has been serving as Acting Secretary since mid-September and was previously Undersecretary for Transportation.

“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. She prioritizes community engagement and equity at every turn.”

“I am grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the opportunity to lead MassDOT as Secretary,” 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 and build on the progress that the Healey-Driscoll Administration has made together.”

Tibbits-Nutt was sworn in as Acting Secretary for Transportation on September 11, 2023. She was previously appointed Undersecretary of Transportation by Governor Healey in January 2023. She also completed her tenure on the MassDOT Board of Directors and as the Vice-Chair of the Fiscal Management and Control Board that oversaw the MBTA from 2015-2021.

Prior to accepting her current role, Tibbits-Nutt served as the Executive Director of 128 Business Council, a transportation management association and regional service provider that builds privately-funded, cooperative public transportation routes throughout the Route 128 West Corridor.

Tibbits-Nutt's areas of specialty are regional and transportation planning, urban design, and transit equity. In both her work and research, she is particularly interested in capitalizing upon every opportunity to better educate transportation stakeholders and the public about all aspects of the planning process. As part of this focus on education, she serves as the Vice President of the nonprofit Youth Engagement Planning, which brings urban planning and community advocacy into K-12 environments.

Tibbits-Nutt also commits a significant portion of her time to mentorship through her roles as a member of the Board of Advisors to The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, and, less officially, by making herself available to the students and young professionals she has met through guest lecturing and her membership in the American Planning Association, the Transportation Research Board, and other professional associations. Tibbits-Nutt serves on the Board of Directors of WTS International and the WTS Foundation and on the Board of Trustees of TransitCenter.

Tibbits-Nutt is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design & Construction with the U.S. Green Building Council.