Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority General Manager Frank DePaola will retire on June 30 after more than a year of service, he announced Monday.
DePaola thanked the entire MBTA staff in a press release, citing his experiences with cancer as the primary reason for his retirement.
“It has been an honor to serve as General Manager during this critical period and to work with so many dedicated colleagues and employees,” DePaola said in the release. “My decision to retire is a difficult one but I cannot continue to spend the countless hours that the job demands while continuing needed treatment and focusing on my health.”
Since DePaola took his position in February 2015, he has supervised the revision of Government Center Station, implemented the Winter Resiliency Plan and supervised several projects to improve MBTA services and reform its budget.
Prior to his time as general manager, DePaola served as the first chief operating officer for the Department of Transportation, where he began planning repairs and improvements to MBTA services.
Stephanie Pollack, secretary of transportation, discussed plans in the press release to ease the transition as DePaola retires.
“I have already begun consultations with the members of the Fiscal and Management Control Board on how to best ensure that during the coming transition the MBTA continues to serve its customers safely and reliable, builds on the progress that has been made on financial stability and increases its investment in maintenance and capital assets,” Pollack said in the release.
The press released stated that Chief Administrator Brian Shortsleeve will step up as acting general manager in June with assistance from Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Gonneville.
Kennedy serves as a city associate for the Daily Free Press. A freshman, she studies English with a minor in philosophy. As a journalist, Kennedy shows special interest in crime and local politics. You can follow her on Twitter at @stellarkenn.
