Virginia state rail office hires Smith as policy chief

The Virginia Department of Rail and Transportation (DRPT) has appointed Chris Smith to the newly created position of chief of policy, communications and legislative affairs.

Smith comes to the department from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), where he served as senior program manager for freight. He directed all policy, technical service and government relations activities related to multimodal freight transportation on behalf of state governments, according to a DRPT press release.

Prior to joining AASHTO, Smith served as vice president of public policy for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. He also served a stint in the Florida Legislature.

Smith will begin his service with DRPT on Jan. 6 and will be based in Richmond, Va.