Pence Taps Hendrickson as Indiana DOT Commissioner After Browning Resigns

AASHTO Journal, 24 April 2015

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence named Brandye Hendrickson as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation on April 22, following Karl Browning’s resignation that day as the department’s CEO.

BHendrickson.jpg Hendrickson

Hendrickson had been deputy transportation commissioner since 2007, overseeing the central Indiana Greenfield district that includes Indianapolis. During 2013, she also served as interim commissioner for seven weeks before Pence named Browning commissioner that July.

Earlier, Hendrickson had deputy commissioner for human resources within INDOT, and for over six years was human resources director at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Pence’s announcement said Hendrickson’s INDOT experience at the Greenfield district included managing an annual construction budget of about $700 million and an operating budget of $50 million, with a 360-person workforce responsible for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of transportation infrastructure.

“With more than a decade of executive experience in state government, Brandye Hendrickson has demonstrated a commitment to public service and a nearly unmatched depth of understanding of the Indiana Department of Transportation,” said Pence.

Browning’s resignation ended his second stint as the state’s top transportation official, after serving in that role from 2006 to 2009 under Gov. Mitch Daniels.

News agencies reported that Browning wrote to Pence saying: “While I am proud for the accomplishments I’ve been able to achieve in state government and am sincerely grateful to you for the opportunity to serve your administration, it is time for me to move on.”

As AASHTO Journal has reported, Browning was recently in negotiations with the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain the state-supported “Hoosier State” Amtrak passenger train service, while resisting FRA efforts to require the state DOT to assure that route operators meet federal safety rules. The federal and state agencies reached agreement on that issue earlier this month.

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