September 13, 2005
ROMNEY NAMES MARY Z. CONNAUGHTON TO TURNPIKE AUTHORITY
Governor Mitt Romney today named Mary Z. Connaughton, an accounting instructor and a certified public accountant, to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Connaughton will replace Richard Anderson, whose term expires today.
The five-member board is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Massachusetts Turnpike and the Metropolitan Highway System, which includes the three harbor crossings and the Central Artery. The board also oversees the Big Dig project.
"Mary brings experience and business skills to the Turnpike Authority. She has faced financial challenges before and her background will be a tremendous asset to the Board," said Romney. "I will look to her to help keep the state’s transportation system on the road to being truly first class."
Connaughton, of Framingham, is a certified public accountant and auditor with a mix of public and private sector experience.
She is currently an instructor in the Economics and Business Administration Department at Framingham State College. She also serves on the Finance Committee for the Town of Framingham, the state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates complaints of misconduct against state judges, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Commonwealth Corporation, the state’s workforce development agency.
Connaughton will resign from Commonwealth Corporation in order to assume her new position with the Turnpike Authority.
Connaughton is the second individual Romney has named to the Turnpike Authority Board following last year’s appointment of Dan Grabauskas, the general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Romney has a third appointment next July, giving him a majority on the board.
The Legislature and Governor have pushed through significant changes to strengthen and better coordinate the Commonwealth’s system of transportation. In last year’s transportation reform bill, the Highway Department and Turnpike Authority were given permission to enter into agreements to merge their operations.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the motorists of the Commonwealth who pay taxes and tolls every day, and I look forward to carrying out Governor Romney’s efforts to reduce costs and promote efficiency at the Turnpike," said Connaughton. "I drive on the Mass Pike frequently, and I understand that the needs and concerns of the motorist must come first."
Connaughton has worked previously at Ernst & Young as a Senior Manager in the entrepreneurial services division and as the head of her own financial consulting business. She has also served as chief financial officer at the Massachusetts State Lottery.
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