Executive Directory 2016
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CEOs FACEBOOK GUIDE Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohan Transportation mobility for a better quality of life Executive 2016 Directory transportation.org AASHTO LEADERSHIP 1 Bud Wright Executive Director American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Bud Wright is the Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a non-profit, non-partisan association that supports and represents the interests and missions of state DOTs. He has experience in both the private sector and as a top executive at the Federal Highway Administration. As AASHTO Executive Director, Wright oversees a staff of 120 professionals who support their members in the development of transportation solu- tions that create economic prosperity, enhance quality of life, and improve transportation safety in U.S. communities, states, and the nation as a whole. AASHTO is now in its second century of service to state departments of transportation and their highly skilled employees. Wright was a transportation policy consultant prior to his appointment in 2012 to lead AASHTO. He served as Executive Director of the Federal Highway Administration from 2001 to 2008, assisting the Administrator in establishing policies, programs, and priorities for the $40 billion annual Federal-aid highway program. As FHWA’s chief operating officer, he was also responsible for a workforce of more than 2,500 transportation professionals and an annual operating budget of $400 million. He served in a number of positions during his career with FHWA including program manager for safety and director of the Office of Budget and Fi- nance, where he worked extensively on the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). In 1992, he became the first non-engineer to serve as an FHWA state-level Division Administrator. Among other current affiliations, Wright is a member of the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee, the ITS America Board of Directors, the ITS World Congress Board of Directors, and chairs the United States National Committee to the World Road Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Virginia Tech, and he 3 and his wife, Kate, have two grown children. Phone (202) 624-5811 E-mail [email protected] Paul Trombino III President, AASHTO Director, Iowa Department of Transportation Paul Trombino III was appointed director of the Iowa Department of Transportation May 9, 2011. As Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation, Trombino oversees an agency responsible for the planning, design, construction, and opera- tions of 9,400 miles of highways, 4,300 bridges; the modal programs of transit, rail, air, and en¬hancements; motor vehicle services which includes driver and vehicle services; and motor carrier services and enforcement. The agency is comprised of 2,700 employees and expends $1.2 billion in transportation investments annually. Trombino currently is the 2015–2016 President of the American Associa- tion of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO); is a member of AASHTO Executive Committee; Chair of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Transportation Communication; is the 2016 Vice-Chair of the Transporta- tion Research Board Executive Committee; and active in the State Strategic Transportation Initiatives (SSTI) group. Prior to this position, Trombino worked at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) for 17 years. At WisDOT, he held several positions, serving as regional operations director of the highway division; director of the bureau of transit, local roads, rails and harbors; director of the bureau of statewide structures; and manager of highway bid lettings. Before coming to WisDOT, Trombino spent four years in the finance and banking industry in Chicago and Washington, DC. Trombino holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. 4 Phone (515) 239-1111 E-mail [email protected] David Bernhardt, P.E. Vice President, AASHTO Commissioner, Maine Department of Transportation David B. Bernhardt was appointed to be Maine’s Commissioner of Trans- portation by Governor Paul LePage, and was sworn into office in February 2011. Bernhardt joined the Maine Department of Transportation in 1984 and has held several positions at the department over the years. Immediately prior to his job as Commissioner, he was MaineDOT’s Director of Engineering and Operations. His duties in that role included tackling difficult or recurring engineering, technical, and operational challenges, and recommending solutions based on engineering and operational ex- perience, and transportation-system measures. As Director of Engineering and Operations, he also managed MaineDOT’s line units, the Bureau of Project Development, the Bureau of Maintenance and Operations, and the Environmental Office. Bernhardt previously served as MaineDOT’s Director of Maintenance and Operations for more than four years, during which time he implemented a number of cost- and efficiency-gaining initiatives. Bernhardt currently is the 2015–2016 Vice President of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). He is a 1984 graduate of the University of Maine at Orono, where he earned associate and bachelor of science degrees in civil engineering. He is a registered professional engineer, and he is an active participant on national and state committees involved in transportation issues. He lives in Vassalboro, Maine, with his wife, Carmen. He has two daugh- ters and a son. Phone (207) 624-3003 E-mail [email protected] 5 Carlos Braceras, P.E. Secretary/Treasurer, AASHTO Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation Utah Governor Gary Herbert appointed Carlos Braceras to serve as Utah Department of Transportation executive director on May 6, 2013. Former UDOT Executive Director John Njord appointed Carlos Braceras to deputy director in May 2001. At the time, he was the director of UDOT’s Region 3. Braceras also worked on the Legacy Parkway/I-15 North Project, where he was responsible for development of the environmental documents, design-build contracts, and construction of both facilities. Since joining UDOT in 1986, Braceras has served as the chief geotechnical engineer, the chief value engineer, and the Region 2 roadway design engineer. In 1998, he was named “State of Utah Governor’s Manager of the Year” and received the “UDOT Leader of the Year” award. Prior to joining UDOT, Braceras worked as a well-site geologist in the oil and gas exploration and development industry. He received a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Vermont and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Utah. He currently serves as the AASHTO Secretary/Treasurer, Chair of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Design, Chair of the Advisory Board for the Center of Environmental Excellence, member of the Board of Directors, and WASHTO Vice President. Phone (801) 965-4027 E-mail [email protected] 6 AASHTO STATE MEMBER DEPARTMENTS 7 John R. Cooper Director Alabama Department of Transportation John R. Cooper became Alabama’s Transportation Director at the begin- ning of Governor Robert Bentley’s administration in January 2011. Cooper came out of retirement to head the Alabama Department of Transporta- tion. From 2002 to 2008, he was chief executive officer of Avocent Cor- poration in Huntsville, a global provider of IT infrastructure management. In addition to serving as CEO, he was chairman of Avocent from 2003 to 2008. Cooper has a business background that has seen him serve as a CEO, chief financial officer, corporate vice president, and as a partner in large accounting firms. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the Univer- sity of Alabama. Phone (334) 242-6776 E-mail [email protected] 9 ALABAMA Marc A. Luiken Commissioner Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Marc Luiken serves as the Commissioner for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Under his direction, the department is responsible for the planning, design and construction, as well as the main- tenance and operation, of Alaska’s transportation system, public buildings, and facilities. He previously served as the department’s Commissioner from Decem- ber 2010 to October 2012, a position he took after serving as DOT’s Deputy Commissioner for Aviation. Most recently, Commissioner Luiken was employed as a project manager and performance coach with RLG international, a consulting firm supporting the oil industry in Alaska with ConocoPhillips and BP Exploration Alaska. Prior to his public service to the State of Alaska, Luiken served 29 years with the U.S. Air Force, retiring June 1, 2010. His career as an Air Force fighter pilot spanned the globe with multiple assignments in the United Kingdom and Germany, and an assignment in Japan. He is combat vet- eran with service in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Joint Forge, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Commissioner Luiken holds a bachelor’s in human factors engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy; a master’s degree in management from Troy State University and a master’s in strategic studies from Air University in Alabama. He is a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives and a member of the