Winthrop Comments on New Massport CEO

Last Thursday the Massport Board voted 5-2 to confirm Massport’s Port Director Lisa Wieland as the Port Authority’s new CEO.

Wieland replaces Thomas Glynn as CEO who stepped down in November. Massport’s CFO John Pranckevicius has filled in as CEO since the nationwide search began last year.

Massport board member John Nucci and Massport board chair Lee Evangelidis were the two that voted for Boston Planning and Development head Brian Golden for the post.

“On the one hand I’m disappointed because I think that Brian (Golden) would’ve brought fresh eyes to Massport and would have been a great consensus builder in the community,” said Nucci after the vote Thursday. “On the other hand, Lisa (Wieland) will work herself into the job just fine and I will support her thoroughly as we move ahead”.

In 2016 the Massport board voted to promote Wieland from Acting Port Director to Port Director.

Wieland has served as the Acting Port Director since March of 2015 and previously as Maritime’s Chief Administrative Officer. As Port Director, she oversees planning, development, marketing, operations, security, financial management, administration and maintenance of all of Massport’s non-aviation properties. Before joining the Maritime team, Wieland served in several roles at Massport, including the Director of HR Strategy and Employment and the Director of Corporate Planning and Analysis. Wieland has been with Massport since 2006.

Prior to her employment with Massport, Wieland worked as a consultant for Bain & Company serving health care and consumer products clients, and for CNN in various news and political assignments. She received her B.A. from UCLA in Political Science, and her M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.

East Boston’s Logan Airport Impact Advisory Committee (AIR, Inc.) said they have discussed the pros and cons of confirming either Wieland or Golden for the CEO post.

In a statement after the vote AIR, Inc.

“This important hire will have long-lasting implications,” the statement reads. “It comes at a time when the rapid spread of Airport impacts is increasingly  deteriorating Boston’s health, economy, quality of life and our reputation.  We now have a label hung on our necks: the most congested city in America.  That puts us right up there with LA as a polluted city. And there is no single institution which is creating more health, environmental and traffic impacts, than Logan Airport.  The airport currently attracts more motorists than a Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots game combined every weekday.  And our city’s roadway infrastructure simply can’t handle it.”

“I am pleased to see Lisa Wieland selected as Massport’s chief executive officer. I congratulate her,” said Gina Cassetta, who is chair of Winthrop’s Airport Hazards Committee. “While I realize that focusing on the economic development and transportation goals must certainly  be her top priority,  I feel it’s equally important that she not only interact with top politicians, members of Congress, federal agencies but also include neighboring community committees like the WAHC, who work tirelessly on behalf of Winthrop residents who are severely impacted by airport noise and pollution. It truly would be remarkable to have Ms. Wieland bring a new level of passion and diversity by offering her accessibility and willingness to meet, discuss and offer fair solutions for the severe impacts the airport has on Winthrop residents, while it’s constantly expanding. I wish her great success and hope to someday have her attend one of our meetings.”

AIR, Inc. said as Massport’s new CEO Wieland needs to address and improve Massport’s planning model so those who now have disproportionate access to the Port Authority’s higher ups and help shape transportation get in line behind those who are impacted.

“Tom Glynn’s Massport grew the airport by 35 percent with impacts rising in equal measure,” continued the AIR Inc statement. “The air and noise pollution and traffic congestion driven by Logan are regional crises which themselves are driving asthma, COPD, stroke, heart disease, sleep interruption, and a host of painful outcomes for people on the ground -not just in neighborhoods such as East Boston but also in communities such as Milton nearly ten miles to the south, cities like Somerville to the west and across the entire region in a ten mile footprint. The next CEO will need to show that they can collaborate with community stakeholders to shape the transportation services that Massachusetts needs in a manner that we can live with.”