BOSTON, MA — Governor Charlie Baker appoints the seven-member Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Board of Directors and designated Betsy Taylor as Chair. In July, Governor Baker signed legislation that established a new, permanent board of directors for the MBTA.

“I am pleased to appoint this distinguished group that together will bring years of leadership and knowledge to serve on the MBTA Board of Directors,” Baker said. “The expertise and diversity of perspectives that make up this board will allow the MBTA to continue to focus on providing safe and reliable service to riders as it invests record levels of funding across the system, and I am thankful for the board’s willingness to serve.”

“The MBTA has become a safer, more reliable, and equitable service provider that riders can depend on thanks in large part to the dedicated, strategic, and transparent leadership provided over the last few years to address a system that had been overlooked and neglected,” said Transportation Secretary and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) CEO Jamey Tesler.

Betsy Taylor (Chair) has served as the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee for the MassDOT Board since 2015. During this time, she inspired the creation and hiring of a department-wide Chief Compliance Officer and is a Co-Chair of the Allston I-90 Financing Team. Previously, Taylor worked at the Massachusetts Port Authority from 1978 to 2015 and continues to serve as an elected board member of the Massport Employee Retirement system. Taylor also worked for the University of Massachusetts, Boston as the Assistant Director of the Office of the Budget. Taylor received her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and her Master of Business Administration from Stanford University.

Robert Butler serves as the President of the Northeast Regional Council of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART), as well as serving as the Vice President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Previously, Butler served as the Business Manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 17, where he was responsible for managing over 5,000 Union members and oversaw millions of dollars in investments and Union funds. Butler spent almost 20 years as a Journeyman in Local 17.

Thomas “Scott” Darling is an independent consultant where he provides advice and expertise to organizations. Previously, Darling served as the Chief of Safety, Security, & Control Center Operations for the Chicago Transit Authority. He also served for three years as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator at the United States Department of Transportation. Darling had previously served at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as the Acting Administrator and as its Chief Counsel. Darling also worked at the MBTA from 2008 to 2012 as a Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant General Counsel, as well as working for the Conservation Law Foundation. He received his bachelor’s degree from Worcester’s Clark University and later went on to receive his master’s degree from Tufts University and his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School.

Travis McCready is the Executive Director, U.S. Life Sciences Market for JLL. Before this, McCready most recently served as President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and before that, the Vice President of Programs for The Boston Foundation (TBF). McCready previously served as TBF’s Chief of Staff and Corporate Secretary from 2001 to 2003. From 2010 to 2013, McCready was the Executive Director of the Kendall Square Association. McCready also has experience working at the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and as Director of Community Affairs for Harvard University. He received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Mary Beth Mello is the Principal at Mello Transportation Consulting, where she helps consult with the MassDOT Rail and Transit Division on matters related to the Commonwealth’s Regional Transit Authorities. Previously, Mello worked at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) from 1993 to 2010, first as a Deputy Regional Administrator and then later as the New England Regional Administrator. Mello is a graduate of Smith College, where she received her bachelor’s degree, and Boston University, where she received her master’s degree.

The MBTA Advisory Board has appointed Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch as its designee.