The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) announced today the appointment of Craig P. Coy of Boston as its new executive director and chief executive officer. Coy has held executive management roles in the public and private sector, nationally and internationally. In addition, his significant experience includes executive responsibilities in the U.S. Coast Guard, The White House and other senior federal positions.

"The exhaustive search paid off," said Marshall Carter, head of Governor Jane Swift's Special Advisory Task Force on Massport. "We found in Coy a tough, focused, seasoned executive with unparalleled leadership capability and first-hand experience in dealing with counter-terrorism issues. He can deal with the details of budgets, federal bureaucracy or bomb detection. He has it all."

"We have found a proven leader who will restore Massport's credibility with the public," said Mark Robinson, chairman of the Massport Board. "Coy's executive experience spans human resources, planning, finance, and marketing. He has managed staff of senior military, law enforcement, public and private sector employees. He knows Washington politics and understands the need for consensus building with local elected officials and neighborhood leaders. I'm confident that he has the talent, dedication and stamina to manage Massport back to its rightful place as a premier transportation agency."

Coy will come to Massport with a four year contract and an annual salary of $250,000. "A contract, which includes a clearly articulated severance and pension clause, was necessary to retain a top quality executive director for Massport," added Carter. "Such an arrangement is commonplace in the private sector and included as part of the compensation arrangements of several other similar transportation authorities."

Most recently, Coy was the chief executive officer and president of HR Logic, Inc., the largest U.S. private professional employer organization, providing human resource programs for 3,000 companies across the nation. His past experience also includes:
vice president/general manager for Lear Siegler Services, Inc.
chief operating officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Activities/Europe
deputy director for counter-terrorism, National Security Council, The White House
special assistant in the Office of Policy Development, The White House
"I'm honored and proud to join the team of more than 1,000 hard-working Massport employees," said Coy. "I am eager to begin immediately and will do so by convening the senior team tomorrow. Throughout my career I've enjoyed my public service positions and I look forward to getting to work."

Coy started his career in the U.S. Coast Guard and was a helicopter aircraft commander. He is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (BS) and Harvard Business School (MBA). Coy was the first Coast Guard officer ever selected to be a White House Fellow.

The search for a new executive director for Massport began last November when the Authority retained the global executive recruiting firm of Russell Reynolds Associates. Over 175 individuals were contacted from a variety of organizations including port and airport authorities in the U.S., Canada and Europe as well as airlines, transportation associations, consulting firms, federal, state and municipal agencies and firms involved in aviation, finance and airport construction. Russell Reynolds coordinated the effort with the Massport Board and the Carter Commission Implementation Team, comprised of Marshall Carter, Patricia McGovern and Sheila Widnall.

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