Gregory C. Johnson, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) deputy director and chief operations officer (COO), has been named state highway administrator for the Maryland Department of Transportation. Johnson has been a highly trusted leader at MDOT for 25 years, holding a variety of departmental posts throughout the state.
“Mr. Johnson has spent his professional life in highway project delivery and I am confident he is exactly the right person to provide smart and business friendly transportation solutions throughout Maryland,” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. “We now have two national transportation experts in Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn and Administrator Johnson, and their experience will help our state successfully complete the $1.97 billion in road and bridge projects just announced and more than $8 billion in highway projects during the next six years.”
“Our colleagues in Maryland sought Greg for this position because of his track record in encouraging innovations that expedite the delivery of projects great and small,” said State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle. “Greg has always been much more than a co-worker here at MDOT – he is also a close personal friend to me and many others. Please join me in congratulating Greg on the next chapter in his already esteemed professional career.”
Johnson’s focus on partnerships throughout his career includes his staunch advocacy for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), promoting DBEs at forums across the country. His enthusiastic support for innovation has helped these partnerships thrive. “From paperless construction and construction manager/general contractor delivery to design-build and innovative bidding methods, Greg has been a leader in embracing and encouraging new ways of thinking and doing,” Steudle said.
Beginning Sept. 16, Johnson will report to Maryland Transportation Secretary Rahn and oversee some 3,000 employees and more than 16,000 miles of roads under the jurisdiction of the Maryland State Highway Administration.
Johnson began his career with MDOT in 1989 as a staff engineer in the MDOT Southwest Region. After serving as a resident engineer for six years, Johnson was named manager of the Kalamazoo Transportation Service Center. He was promoted to Deputy Metro Region Engineer in 2002 and later to Metro Region Engineer in 2003. Johnson was appointed COO on Feb. 22, 2009, overseeing MDOT’s seven regions, Bureau of Development, Bureau of Field Services, Office of Operations Administrative Services, and Office of Business Development.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Michigan. He also earned a Master’s degree in public administration from Western Michigan University.
