Governor Kaine Appoints David Ekern to Serve as VDOT Commissioner
– Ekern has 35 years of experience with state transportation agencies –
RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced the appointment of David S. Ekern to serve as the next Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Ekern, currently of Eagle, Idaho, is a transportation professional with senior level experience and a national reputation for innovation and planning. Ekern has served as the Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and as the Director of the Idaho Transportation Department.
“David Ekern is a recognized national leader in transportation operations, management, context sensitive design, and innovative program delivery for the 21st Century,” Governor Kaine said. “He has the vision and leadership to take VDOT to the next level – with a focus on performance, accountability, innovation, and smarter integration of transportation and land use planning.”
“I want to thank Acting Commissioner Gregory A. Whirley Sr. for his service,” Governor Kaine added. “In the 16 months of his stewardship, the Department has increased its on-time, on-budget performance, and developed a long term business plan. I am pleased that Greg has agreed to serve as Commissioner Ekern’s Chief Deputy Commissioner, where he will continue to be a strong asset to VDOT.”
Ekern is a former Director of the Idaho Transportation Department, where he developed the largest transportation improvement program in the history of the state. Ekern started his career with the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 1971 as a Project Manager, and ultimately advanced to the position of Assistant Commissioner. Under his leadership, Minnesota was recognized as a national leader in context sensitive design principles.
“Dave provided great leadership and utilized his many years of engineering and transportation experience to bring a number of innovations to the Idaho Transportation Department that increased efficiency and effectiveness,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, former Governor of Idaho. “I … know that he will bring the same commitment to safety and effective use of resources to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia that were so successful in Idaho.”
Rep. James L. Oberstar (MN-8th), the ranking minority member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has known and worked with Ekern for more than 20 years. “[He] is unusually sensitive to state and federal legislators’ interests,” Oberstar said. “He works well with federal and state career professionals, as well as county highway engineers, the business community, and the public,” Rep. Oberstar wrote in a letter to Governor Kaine.
In 2001, Ekern became a Loaned Senior Executive with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a national transportation organization that represents all 50 state departments of transportation, and he served at AASHTO headquarters in Washington, D.C., for two years.
“For the past 13 years, I have known David Ekern as one of the finest professionals in the transportation business,” said AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley. “As a senior manager here at AASHTO, David provided national leadership … in the fields of asset management, context sensitive solutions and advanced transportation technologies.”
Ekern holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota. Ekern is a registered professional engineer and has earned the standing of Fellow from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
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