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“TRIBUTE TO DR. BEVERLY A. SCOTT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2175 on Oct. 18, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO DR. BEVERLY A. SCOTT
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HON. DORIS O. MATSUI
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Beverley A. Scott's service as Genera Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Regional Transit District. Dr. Scott leaves a lasting legacy in Sacramento and she will be deeply missed. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring one of Sacramento's finest public servants.
Dr. Scott has been a tireless advocate for public transportation. After earning a doctorate in political science from Howard University, she started her career in 1977 at Texas Southern University as one of four national recipients of a Carnegie Foundation Fellowship. Dr. Scott went on to work as the general manager at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority as well as holding executive management positions with transit agencies in New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC. In New York, Dr. Scott was the first woman appointed vice president of surface transit and she was responsible for the daily transit operations of New York and Staten Island Rail.
With such an accomplished past, Dr. Scott joined the Sacramento Regional Transit District in October of 2002 and increased morale immediately. Using a variety of tools, Dr. Scott created a new strategic plan involving a wide variety of partners, both inside and outside of Regional Transit's organization. Under her leadership, the Regional Transit successfully expanded light rail to Sunrise Boulevard, followed by an extension to the City of Folsom. Light rail has also expanded in downtown Sacramento to the Amtrak station.
Dr. Scott played an instrumental role in the renewal of Measure A, which provides local funding for mass transit and transportation priorities. For the past 3 years, Regional Transit has been awarded a financial accountability award of excellence for their improved budget reporting, and fiscal management. Dr. Scott also created the Regional Transit University to improve employee training. With Transit Etiquette Program forums and the restructuring of RT's Mobility Advisory Committee Dr. Scott's leadership has helped Regional Transit serve all of us in Sacramento that use public transit.
The Sacramento Regional Transit District, also known as RT, has recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of light rail. RT operates a comprehensive public transit system that includes 97 bus routes and 37 miles of light rail, covering a 418 square-mile service area. Buses and light rail run 365 days a year from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., giving riders ample opportunities to utilize their services. Using 76 light rail vehicles, 254 buses powered by compressed natural gas and 17 shuttle vans, RT is not only affordable and convenient but also environmentally friendly.
Personally, Dr. Scott has been a pleasure to work with. Her compassion and spirit has made her a wonderful addition to the Sacramento community as well. She is a caring, smart and thoughtful administrator, who knows how to be tough when needed. I have been told that she is affectionately known as ``Hurricane Bev'' for her energy, enthusiasm and dedication to getting the job done, while those who work with her also call her ``Mummy.''
For her work in Sacramento and across the Nation, Dr. Scott has received numerous awards, including awards from the U.S. Department of Transportation, American Public Transportation Association, National Business League, Women's Transportation Seminar, Rhode Island Professional Engineers Society, Sierra Club, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the Urban League, City Year, and Paratransit.
Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Dr. Beverly A. Scott's distinguished commitment to Sacramento's public transportation. Dr. Scott has stood as an instrumental force behind the advancement of the Sacramento Regional Transit District and has helped improve the overall quality of life for generations to come. We all are thankful for her efforts. As Dr. Scott's colleagues, family and friends gather to honor her service, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing her continued good fortune in her future endeavors.
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