AASHTO Journal, 17 July 2015
Gov. Larry Hogan appointed Gregory Johnson as administrator of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration, pulling in Johnson from the second-highest position at the Michigan DOT.
For the Michigan agency, Johnson serves multiple roles as deputy director, chief operations officer and chief engineer.
JohnsonJohnson, said Hogan, “has spent his professional life in highway project delivery and I am confident he is exactly the right person to provide smart and business friendly transportation solutions throughout Maryland.”
The governor added: “We now have two national transportation experts in Secretary [Pete] Rahn and Administrator Johnson, and their experience will help our state successfully complete the $1.97 billion in road and bridge projects just announced and more than $8 billion in highway projects during the next six years.”
Johnson has been with the Michigan DOT since 1989 and became its chief operations officer on Feb. 22, 2009.
Hogan’s announcement said while at the Michigan agency he implemented innovations in project development and delivery that include accelerated bridge construction and wider use of carbon fiber to lengthen the life of bridges.
Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan department, in an announcement to his staff called Johnson “a highly trusted leader in our department” who also “enjoys great respect among leaders in the industry and other transportation agencies.”
In addition to highway project delivery, Hogan said Johnson has focused on safety, customer service, partnering and active traffic management.
For instance, in his focus on partnering Johnson has been an advocate for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises throughout his career, speaking about DBEs at local and national forums. He also established a youth mentoring development program to employ urban youth and expose them to transportation-related careers.
Johnson also serves on various national boards and committees, including the national executive board of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Standing Committees on Highways, American Society of Civil Engineers, Ferris State University Construction Industry Advisory Board, and the National Operations Center of Excellence executive board.