In 1982, Pollack received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a Bachelor of Science in public policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1985.^[5][6]

Pollack began work with the Conservation Law Foundation as a sophomore at MIT, doing policy research on coal-fired power plants. Pollack continued to work at the CLF after graduating from Harvard, rising to senior VP and acting president before departing in 2006.^[2] She also worked as a senior strategy consultant for groups including the Boston Transportation Department and Massport.^[7] When the Commonwealth of Massachusetts negotiated Big Dig mitigation with Pollack and ultimately claimed they could not afford her proposals, Pollack stated "They can't just say, 'We're broke.'"^[8]

In 2004, Pollack took a position at Northeastern University as a senior research associate and senior director at the Center for Urban and Regional Policy and an adjunct professor for the Northeastern University School of Law.^[9] During this time Pollack also served on the board of the Newton Transportation Advisory Committee and the MassDOT Transportation Advisory Committee.^[10]

In January 2015, Pollack was chosen by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to lead the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.^[11] Pollack described her appointment as surprising, given fundamentally different policy views between Baker, a lifelong Republican, and her own liberal views as a Democrat.^[12][3]

In January 2021, it was announced that Pollack was appointed to serve as deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.^[13]

Pollack received criticism for lapses at Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) that led to a crash that killed seven people in 2019.^[14][15] The RMV director and RMV consultant Fast Technologies LLC both claimed they had sent information about the RMV data issues to Pollack prior to the crash. A year later, Pollack acknowledged responsibility for the scandal and pledged to fix the issues.^[16]

Pollack also received backlash for an expedited $100,000 private bathroom at MassDOT Headquarters in 2018.^[17] The controversy has become known as MassDOT's "Golden Bathroom" or "Toilet-Gate".^[18] Pollack initially refused to speak to the press about the bathroom, but later released a memo stating "We should have been more careful".^[19]

Pollack met her husband Kenneth Snow while at MIT.^[2] She has three children, all of whom are studying engineering.^[2] Pollack has lived in Newton, Massachusetts, for over 20 years and is a strong advocate of car free transportation.^[20] Pollack is an observant Orthodox Jew.^[3] Pollack has been a Democrat since she first registered to vote at age 18.^[3]

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