Joe Donahue Named E-470’s Seventh Executive Director
Aurora, CO, June 13, 2024 — After a nationwide search, Joe Donahue is joining the E-470 Public Highway Authority as its new Executive Director. Donahue comes to the Authority from Texas, where he served as a Toll Technology Senior Consultant with HNTB Corporation, overseeing tolling projects across the country.
“The E-470 Board of Directors is excited to welcome Joe Donahue in this critical role to lead one of the country’s premier tolling entities,” said E-470 Board Chair and Town of Parker Councilman John Diak. “He is a dynamic leader who will help the Authority continue to invest in the communities it serves while utilizing his skills and experience to embrace the evolving transportation landscape in our region.”
Donahue has been working in the tolling industry for over 24 years, with roots at E-470 as a former Director of Finance. While at E-470 from 2000-2012, he was an integral member of the team establishing long-term plans and strategies such as the multi-year capital and operating budget process, long-term cash and debt management policy and was a key contributor to the Authority’s conversion to All-Electronic Tolling (AET) in 2009. Since entering the private sector in 2012, he has worked with several other toll agencies across the United States. During that time, he assisted with financial strategies, systems planning, procurement and implementation and helping agencies plan and implement cashless tolling programs.
“The E-470 Public Highway Authority had and will continue to identify and implement innovative solutions to mobility, tolling, and customer service in the Denver Metro area. It is an honor to rejoin the E-470 team and to be part of its future progress,” said Donahue. “I’m excited to once again put down roots in the community and support a team that has enjoyed so much success, I look forward to being a part of a team that takes pride in providing the highest level of service while helping people move safely and reliably.”
Former E-470 Executive Director Beau Memory stepped away from his role with the Authority toward the end of 2023 to explore a role at Transurban North America in Virginia. During his time as Executive Director, Memory seized opportunities to make E-470 more than just a tollway, leveraging the Authority to serve as a partner for growth along the corridor and a pillar of the region.
About the E-470 Public Highway Authority: E-470 is the 75-mph toll road running along the eastern perimeter of the Denver metropolitan area. E-470 is a user-financed roadway, receiving no local, state, or federal funds for financing, construction, operations, or maintenance. A political sub-division of the state, the tollway is governed by the E-470 Public Highway Authority Board composed of eight local governments including Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, and the municipalities of Aurora, Brighton, Commerce City, Parker, and Thornton. Additionally, E-470 operates ExpressToll, the all-electronic toll collection system available on E-470, Northwest Parkway and CDOT’s Express Lanes. For more information, please visit e-470.com.
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Contact: E-470 Media Relations