Gonneville returning to interim MBTA GM role

Jeff Gonneville will soon take a second spin as the interim leader of the MBTA.

The Baker administration announced Thursday that Gonneville will step into the top role on a temporary basis on Jan. 4, 2023, one day after General Manager Steve Poftak departs and one day before Gov.-elect Maura Healey takes the oath of office.

Gonneville, who has served as deputy general manager since July 2017, will likely be tasked with keeping the T in shape until Healey and her incoming transportation secretariat identify a new permanent leader to manage the transit agency as it navigates a fraught period.

It will mark the second time the Baker administration entrusts Gonneville with running the MBTA. For a short stretch following the departure of Luis Ramirez at the end of 2018, Gonneville served as interim GM, then returned to the top deputy role once Poftak started.

"Jeff Gonneville has proven his leadership abilities as Deputy General Manager and in other senior management positions with the T," said Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler. "Jeff is a seasoned leader and has vast knowledge of all aspects of the T, from budgeting to service to capital investments. I am confident Jeff will be able to guide the MBTA well during this time of transition."

Gonneville joined the T more than two decades ago and has held a variety of roles in its operations, including two years as chief operating officer, where he was responsible for overseeing operations of the entire light and heavy rail lines as well as the bus system.

He's often appeared at public meetings or media briefings to deliver some of the more dense, technical updates, including on topics such as the specific engineering and mechanical issues behind derailments.

A UMass Amherst graduate, Gonneville has spent his entire 25-year-plus career working in public transportation, according to the Baker administration.

Healey this week tapped firm Krauthamer & Associates to launch a global search for candidates to take over as the next permanent GM of the MBTA.

"That person is going to have transit experience, they're going to have operations experience, and they're going to understand that right now, we've got a real workforce challenge when it comes to the T," Healey said in a radio interview. "The T needs workers, and so we're going to make sure that we have the right GM in place."

With two weeks to go until her inauguration, Healey has so far named two Cabinet secretaries - Patrick Tutwiler for education and Matt Gorzkowicz for administration and finance. The many posts yet to be filled include state transportation secretary.