It’s January in an odd-numbered year, so we have the usual
turnover of transportation department CEOs. Both those in the trenches and those involved in
transportation more broadly hope for the best but have to deal with what they
get. In the Northeast –
fortunately for everyone – the four new commissioners/secretaries recently
announced are an outstanding class.
Sue Minter in Vermont (going north to south) has been
promoted from deputy secretary and is well known and respected in
transportation circles. Sue has
already pulled very tough duty as head of recovery from the devastation wrought
by Hurricane Irene, so is ready for anything. She is committed to climate change adaptation and mitigation
and has been active in the multistate Transportation and Climate Initiative.
Stephanie Pollack in Massachusetts – the only one of the
four I don’t know personally – is a pleasant surprise for many Bay Staters, who
were apprehensive about who a Republican governor might appoint. She is, in fact, a transit advocate,
and an academic (Dukakis Center at Northeastern) who studies equity issues and
transit oriented development.
Leslie Richards in Pennsylvania is a local elected official
who has been chair of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, one of
the country’s best MPOs. Leslie is
a trained planner, a progressive, and steeped in Pennsylvania government and
transportation issues.
Pete Rahn in Maryland is another pleasant surprise for those
wondering what a Republican governor might do. Pete has already been head of the DOTs in New Mexico and
Missouri and is well respected nationwide for both his technical skills
(particularly in performance management) and his diplomatic skills (which he’ll
need in a divided government).
This is a great group that promises very effective
leadership in the years to come!
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