GREENFIELD — Transportation planners and professionals past and present joined members of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments outside the John W. Olver Transit Center on Tuesday afternoon for a brief ceremony recognizing a longtime colleague.

Maureen Mullaney, who died of cancer in September 2022 at the age of 59, had worked for FRCOG since 1993, most recently serving as the organization’s transportation planning and geographic information systems program manager. As a tribute to her contributions and legacy, friends, family members, longtime coworkers and state officials gathered to dedicate the new Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) bee sculpture in her honor.

“I’m very proud to have her recognized this way,” said Mullaney’s husband, Dan Barrett, after taking photos of the sculpture to send to their two children, Jera Mullaney Barrett, 27, and Aiden Mullaney Barrett, 29. “To have things like this … is really a nice thing. I know the kids will be happy to hear about this.”

Barrett thanked FRTA Administrator Tina Cote for recognizing Mullaney’s 30 years working in transportation.

“These bees are scattered around town,” said Cote, referring to the 11 sculptures that have been placed downtown over the last two years. “This, to us, has a bit more meaning. … A bee can represent kindness, loyalty and commitment, and these are the things Maureen was made of. I miss her.”

Both Cote and FRCOG Executive Director Linda Dunlavy remembered Mullaney not only as a person who made a difference in the transportation realm, but as someone dedicated to family. Cote recalled becoming fast friends with Mullaney and how often she would ask about Cote’s children.

“So many of us … really miss her,” echoed Dunlavy, who first met Mullaney in 1991, “and find the fact she’s not here unbelievable.”

FRCOG Transportation Program Manager Beth Giannini said the bee sculpture is “a way to celebrate Maureen’s legacy.”

“Maureen, as the transportation planning and program manager, embraced change,” she said. “I think about how far we’ve come. … I feel like Maureen embraced that progressiveness.”

Giannini said while the Franklin County region is “by nature” a car-oriented community, Mullaney played a role in furthering progress in alternative transportation options, such as rail or bicycle.

“I think she would be proud to be recognized in this way,” she said. “But she’d also turn around and share that recognition with others.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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