Governor John Kasich has named top administrators for most of the state agencies of importance to Ohio engineering companies, and among them are several former ACEC Ohio members.
In late November, the governor appointed Jerry Wray to a second stint as director of the Ohio Department of Transportation. He headed ODOT from 1991 to 1999 under former Governor George Voinovich.
Last week, Wray announced his new management team, which includes several former ACEC Ohio members.
Gregory M. Murphy, formerly of Korda/Nemeth Engineering, Inc., will serve as Wray's chief of staff. James A. Barna, formerly of E. L. Robinson Engineering of Ohio, is the new Assistant Director for Transportation Policy. Michael C. Flynn, formerly of HNTB Ohio, Inc., is the new Assistant Director of Field Operations.
One of the governor's first appointments following his election victory in November was that of Bob Blair, formerly a business development manager for EMH&T, Inc., as the new director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.
Previously, Blair served as both human resources director and assistant director in the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, and director of human resources at ODOT.
Last week, Blair announced that Randall F. Howard, also formerly with EMH&T, Inc., would be the new Deputy Director of the ODAS Division of General Services. That division is responsible for the operations of the Office of the State Architect, a position that remains to be filled.
The new top administrators at two other important agencies – Scott Nally at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and David Mustine at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – are not as well known to ACEC Ohio, but the council will be reaching out to them in the coming weeks and months to establish working relationships.
Nally was an assistant commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, while Mustine is a former executive with American Electric Power.