A female from Massachusetts is the heir apparent to Tom Dugan as the executive director of CARTA.
Lisa M. Maragnano, if she takes the place of Mr. Dugan in two years as planned, will be the transit agency's first female leader.
The CARTA board on Thursday unanimously approved the selection of Ms. Maragnano after a nationwide search.
She initially will be assistant executive director. The post was held by Ron Sweeney until he retired in February. Ms. Maragnano will be paid $95,000. Mr. Sweeney was paid $115,000 at his retirement.
Ms. Maragnano has served since 2005 as general manager of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority at Cape Cod, Mass.
She was president/general manager of the Bay Colony Transportation Services at Brockton, Mass., prior to taking the Cape Cod post.
Ms. Maragnano started out as a bus driver, Mr. Dugan noted.
He said he was given a strong recommendation for Ms. Maragnano by a mutual friend.
Mr. Dugan said she was one of four finalists who were interviewed. He said 30-35 candidates were considered.
He said Ms. Maragnano has a daughter who is a senior in high school and a son who is a freshman. He said the two children will continue in their school in Cape Cod, and Ms. Maragnano will begin her service with CARTA on Oct. 1. He said initially she will be "in and out" and she will do some work from home in Cape Cod.
He said she will be fulltime at CARTA after the Christmas holidays.
Mr. Dugan said transit ridership is up for the year-to-date - 1,824,957 compared to the previous 1,703,244.
Shuttle ridership has climbed from 885,269 to 904,036.
The Incline Railway has seen ridership go from 357,459 to 379,193.
Total CARTA ridership has gone up from 2,992,055 to 3,153,189.