DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb (WRN photo)
The state Department of Transportation will be under new leadership next year, as it gears up for what’s expected to be a contentious state budget process.
Governor Scott Walker’s office announced Tuesday that current DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb will step down from his position on January 6. Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dave Ross will then take over the agency on January 7.
“Ross has been an outstanding leader for our administration at the DSPS since 2011,” Walker said in a press release. “Dave has always looked to improve the way government operates, and I am confident he will bring the same innovative, taxpayer-first approach to the DOT.”
A spokesman for the governor said Gottlieb “expressed his intent to retire and spend more time with his family.”
Gottlieb’s departure from the agency comes just weeks after he appeared before an Assembly committee. During that hearing, he told lawmakers that a budget plan offered by the agency would lead to roads in the state continuing to deteriorate. A message seeking comment from Gottlieb was not immediately returned.