Title
Remarks and Discussion with Secretary of Transportation James H. Trogdon, III (45 minutes)
James H. Trogdon, III, North Carolina Secretary of Transportation
Wendy Jacobs, MPO Board Vice Chair
Felix Nwoko, LPA Staff
Narrative
Secretary Trogdon has come to the DCHC MPO Board meeting to discuss transportation issues of interest to our area, as well as his vision for the Department. He has been provided a copy of the attached DCHC MPO comments on the Draft FY2018-2027 STIP, which provides background on transportation policies of concern to our region.
Secretary James H. Trogdon, III was appointed to his position by Governor Cooper in January 2017. Secretary Trogdon is a registered professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience in transportation. He began his career with NCDOT in 1985 as a highway engineer, and in 2000 was named NCDOT's Division 4 Engineer.
Trogdon later worked with the N.C. General Assembly as director of Strategic Transportation Planning. In this role, he made recommendations and provided analysis on transportation issues, as well as drafting transportation legislation for General Assembly members and reviewing transportation programs and projects for effectiveness.
In 2009, Trogdon was named NCDOT's chief operating officer, a position he held until his retirement in 2013. As COO, he was a key leader in the department's effort to professionalize its decision-making process and become a performance-based organization with an emphasis on accountability and transparency. Trogdon also held several private sector positions after retiring from NCDOT, including national transportation director for SAS Institute.
In addition to his work as an engineer with NCDOT, Trogdon has more than three decades of military service. His duties included serving as the plans officer for road and school construction in Honduras and Ecuador, as well as infrastructure improvements in Italy. After being selected to command the 105th Engineer Group, his unit was mobilized to provide command and control for security forces at U.S. Army installations throughout North Carolina and Virginia. His unit was again mobilized in 2006 during Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Multi-National Division North Engineer Brigade to command and control two engineer battalions, and provide assured mobility and general engineering support within northern Iraq. Major General Trogdon retired from the military in 2016 as the Deputy Adjutant General for the North Carolina National Guard.
Trogdon earned a master's of strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College as well as a master's in civil engineering with a minor in statistics and computer science and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University.
Board Action
Board Action: The MPO Board welcomes Secretary Trogdon and greatly appreciates his taking the time to meet with the Board.