Beverly A. Scott, PhD will deliver the keynote address at the Somerville Chamber of Commerce 68th Annual Dinner & Powderhouse Awards on November 5th. Dr. Scott is General
Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the MassDOT Rail & Transit Administrator overseeing the state’s 15 Regional Transit Authorities along with the freight and passenger rail program. Dr. Scott is the first female General Manager and only the second African American in the 115 year history of the MBTA. Her career in the public transportation industry spans more than three decades including serving as General Manager four public transit systems – MBTA, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Sacramento Regional Transit District and Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. Throughout her tenure, she has been a leading change agent and was recognized for her visionary leadership, result-driven management style and progressive approach to labor management relations by President Barack Obama earning her the honor of “Transportation Innovator of Change.”
The Chamber is Somerville’s premier business organization. Led by a diverse and dynamic Board of Directors, it takes on local and state issues that affect the local economy and advocates for businesses large and small. It has been deeply involved with the redevelopment of Assembly Square, the Green Line extension project, and planning and zoning issues in and around the Innerbelt, McGrath, Union Square, Boynton Yards and Somerville Avenue. The Chamber’s Dining & Nightlife Group has been instrumental in the development of Somerville’s metropolitan appeal. Throughout the year, the Chamber produces outstanding business community networking events such as Business After Hours, Innovation Tours, and the Taste of Somerville.
The dinner, which is the foremost annual gathering of local business, civic, and community leaders, will be held Wednesday, November 5th at the Holiday Inn, 30 Washington Street. The Chamber is pleased to have Bunker Hill Community College as a major sponsor, along with East Cambridge Savings Bank which will be sponsoring the opening reception. Additional sponsorships are available.
The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $100 per person for Chamber Members, or $800 per table of eight guests. Non-member tickets are $150 per person, or $1200 for a table of eight guests. Reservations are being accepted on the Chamber website http://www.somervillechamber.org or by contacting Joanne Haley 617-776-4100, joanne@somervillechamber.org