NC Governor Cooper Names Trogdon as DOT Secretary

WSOC reports that North Carolina’s new governor, Roy Cooper, “named Jim Trogdon as North Carolina Department of Transportation secretary, a high-profile role because of the controversy surrounding the I-77 toll lanes between Mooresville and Charlotte. Trogdon served as the chief operating officer for the DOT before his retirement in 2013 [link added] and as director of strategic transportation planning for the North Carolina General Assembly.” The report adds, “He helped to drive several major initiatives during his time at the state DOT, which included reshaping the department’s funding formula to a more data-driven approach to create more jobs and make better use of existing funds during the 2013 legislative session.”

The News & Observer reports that under a law just approved in December 2016, the state senate can reject a governor’s cabinet appointments, but “Trogdon . . . can take office without legislative approval.” The newspaper adds that Trogdon’s start date and salary are still under discussion, and Cooper has named NCDOT manager Mike Holder to serve as the agency’s “caretaker supervisor.”