[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 158 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. BEVERLY A. SCOTT

                                 ______
                                 

                          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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