August 18, 2004
ROMNEY NAMES GRABAUSKAS TO TURNPIKE AUTHORITY BOARD
Appointment begins process of better coordination with transportation
Governor Mitt Romney today appointed Transportation Secretary Daniel A. Grabauskas to the five-member Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Board, jumpstarting the integration of the activities of the Turnpike Authority with the Massachusetts Highway Department.
Grabauskas will replace Christy Mihos, whose term expired earlier this summer.
“Secretary Grabauskas has already demonstrated that he knows how to bring reform and efficiency to state government,” said Romney. “He will be a voice of change at the Turnpike Authority and help us begin the process of creating a more efficient transportation system for the people of Massachusetts.”
“I also want to applaud the service of Christy Mihos,” Romney said. “Over the last five years, Christy has been the toll-payer’s best friend and pushed for reform at the Turnpike every step of the way.”
Last month, Romney signed into law reform legislation that will significantly improve the delivery of the state’s transportation services through consolidation and enhanced coordination. Among other changes, the new measure installs the Transportation Secretary as Chair of Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Board beginning on July 1, 2007.
By giving Transportation Secretary Grabauskas a seat at the decision-making table nearly three years earlier than the legislation calls for, Romney will immediately begin the process of integrating the functions of the Turnpike Authority with the Highway Department.
“I look forward to working with the other members of the Turnpike Board as we address a host of issues of importance to taxpayers and toll-payers,” said Grabauskas. “Governor Romney has called for the streamlining of the Commonwealth’s fragmented transportation delivery system to realize improved efficiencies and cost savings. This effort will be foremost in my mind during my service on the Board.”
“I was honored to serve on the Turnpike Board. I was there to represent the toll-payer and the taxpayer, and every day fought to insure greater accountability at the Big Dig,” said Mihos. “By appointing Secretary Grabauskas to the Board, Governor Romney again has shown his commitment to true reform of government. Secretary Grabauskas is a proven and successful manager and will bring the power of his cabinet position to the table to the benefit of the citizens of the commonwealth.”
Grabauskas, who was appointed Transportation Secretary by Romney, has more than 15 years of experience in managing and reforming Massachusetts state government. Throughout his career in the public sector, he has identified bureaucratic inefficiencies and areas of duplication and successfully developed solutions to streamline operations and make government more responsive to the people it serves. Grabauskas’ other government posts included Registrar of Motor Vehicles and Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
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