Daniel Grabauskas, who stepped down as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 2009 amid political turmoil, was named as the finalist Friday to lead the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation as its chief executive officer.

The full HART board is scheduled to vote on his selection after taking public testimony at its meeting Thursday. If approved, Grabauskas would begin work in mid-April.

His proposed three-year contract includes an annual base salary of $245,000, plus a $36,000-a-year housing allowance and a $6,000 annual transportation allowance, HART said. The proposal also includes the potential for a $35,000 annual performance bonus.

"We were looking for experience, communication skills, a record of honesty and openness," said Keslie Hui, chairman of the HART board’s human resources committee. "We were looking for leadership, strong leadership, and that’s what really came through."

Grabauskas was on the mainland and not made available for comment Friday. He is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu Monday. In a statement, he said he looks forward to learning more about Honolulu’s planned $5.27 billion rail project from staff, elected leaders and the community.

"I am a strong believer in open and honest communication and look forward to hearing many perspectives on how best to get the job done," he said.

Grabauskas has been serving as chairman and senior strategic adviser of the Bronner Center for Transportation Management.

"It is only fitting that America’s most exciting mass transit project — in Honolulu — should have a transformational leader like Dan," Gila J. Bronner, chief executive officer of the Bronner Group, a Chicago-based public affairs consulting firm, said in a statement online.

Grabauskas was appointed general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the nation’s oldest and fifth-largest transit agency, by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

According to published reports, Grabauskas, a Republican appointee, resigned as MBTA head in August 2009 amid political pressure brought on by the new Democratic administration of Gov. Deval Patrick.

Patrick had questioned the agency’s leadership amid financial troubles and two crashes on one of its train lines, according to a report in the Boston Globe. Grabauskas’ backers, who included legislative leaders, characterized the move as political.

Hui said HART board members did background checks on Grabauskas and concluded the same thing.

"We found that there was an administration change at the time Dan … was pressured to leave office," Hui said. "He was appointed by a Republican governor; that leadership then changed in Massachusetts to a Democrat in that position, and there was some pressure for him to leave."

Hui said the board’s consultant, Krauthamer and Associates, conducted an international search for a chief executive and contacted about 150 candidates. The list was narrowed to 13 people, which the HART board then narrowed to five. Two withdrew before the board agreed on Grabauskas as the finalist, Hui said.

"We did reach consensus that Dan was absolutely the best candidate for us," Hui said.

The selection of Grabauskas came after months of closed-door executive sessions by the HART board, and Hui said the board was working with the other candidates to determine whether their names would be released.

Although the hire is not a done deal until the board votes, Hui said he was confident that Grabauskas would be received favorably. The choice was announced Friday to give the public time to research the candidate and present any concerns by Thursday.

Grabauskas would lead the 10-member HART board, a semiautonomous agency charged with overseeing most aspects of the rail project.

Toru Hamayasu, who has been serving as the agency’s interim chief executive, will continue in that role until the new CEO arrives, HART said. He will continue with the project in a senior leadership position.