AASHTO Journal, 23 May 2014
On Thursday, the South Carolina Senate unanimously confirmed Janet Oakley as South Carolina Department of Transportation secretary, effective immediately. Gov. Nikki Haley announced Oakley as her pick to lead the department last month (see related AASHTO Journal story here).
Oakley begins her new role at SCDOT carrying more than 30 years of transportation experience. Most recently, Oakley managed national transportation policy development and advocacy at AASHTO on behalf of its state transportation department members, which includes that of freight, transit, aviation, passenger rail, water, planning, and environmental programs, a role she had held since July 1999. Before joining AASHTO, Oakley served as director of government affairs for the National Association of Regional Councils and in 1994 formed the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, where she served as AMPO’s first director for a period of five years. She has state DOT experience as well, as she began her career as a transportation planner for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, a title she also held when she worked for the Federal Highway Administration. Oakley also has experience working on Capitol Hill, as she served as a budget analyst for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. Oakley holds a bachelor’s degree in regional planning and a master’s degree in planning and geography from Eastern Kentucky University.
“I truly believe that I will be able to work with a great staff and use my breadth of experience and depth of knowledge to help the entire state of South Carolina,” Oakley said upon her nomination by Haley. “I will call on the entire network of colleagues I have developed over the past 30 years in the field to help us as we move forward on this journey.”