A native of Randolph, Massachusetts, Davey earned a BA degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a JD summa cum laude from the Gonzaga University School of Law.

[1][2] He began his legal career in 1999 with the United States Department of Justice as a trial attorney for the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

[3] Davey left the MBCR in March 2010 when he became the general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

[6] On August 4, 2011, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced that Davey would succeed outgoing Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan on September 1, 2011.

[10][11] Davey is married to Jane Willis, a partner at Ropes & Gray and a former member of the MIT Blackjack Team.