AASHTO, APTA unveil new leadership

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has elected Carlos Braceras as president and Patrick McKenna as vice president.

Braceras is executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation; McKenna is director of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT).

Previously, Braceras served as AASHTO's vice president and secretary-treasurer. As president, he'll focus on workforce development and reauthorization of current surface transportation legislation to include funding and policy reform, association officials said in a press release.

Braceras noted that the current strong economy and low unemployment rate make it difficult for state agencies to compete with the private sector for engineers, technicians and information technology professionals.

"State DOTs must attract and keep these workers to build, maintain and manage America’s increasingly sophisticated transportation networks," said Braceras. "Funding and policy reforms will also be needed because the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act expires in 2020."

McKenna has served as MODOT's director since December 2015. He previously served as commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

Meanwhile, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has elected David Stackrow Sr. as chair and Nuria Fernandez, vice chair. The association elected the two leaders at its annual meeting held this week in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stackrow serves on the Capital District Transportation Authority's board in Albany, New York. Fernandez is general manager and chief executive officer of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose, California.

APTA also elected Jacobs Engineering's Freddie Fuller II as secretary-treasurer, according to a press release issued by the association.

The association also announced that its 2018-2019 executive committee will include Thomas Lambert, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in Houston, Texas. In addition, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System CEO Paul Jablonski joined APTA's board.