Governor Gregoire Appoints Interim Transportation Secretary

For Immediate Release: July 20, 2007

OLYMPIA - Governor Chris Gregoire today announced the appointment of Paula Hammond as Interim Secretary for the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Hammond is currently the chief of staff at WSDOT. The appointment is effective August 1.

�The completion of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a great opportunity to celebrate all that Doug MacDonald has done for Washingtonians and also to focus on the best way to continue his work,� said Governor Gregoire. �Paula Hammond has been an anchor for the achievements at WSDOT for a number of years. She is the perfect leader for this transition period.�

�I thank Gov. Gregoire for her confidence in me and the department,� said Hammond. �Our agency is in a great place due to Doug MacDonald�s hard work and leadership. I expect everyone at WSDOT to continue the momentum we�ve achieved on project delivery, communication and accountability.�

A national search for replacing MacDonald is expected to be completed by the end of September.

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