Governor Gregoire Swears in Paula Hammond as First Female Washington Secretary of Transportation

For Immediate Release: November 5, 2007

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today made Paula Hammond�s appointment as Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation official during a brief swearing in ceremony in Olympia.

�From her first day as Interim Secretary until now, Paula Hammond has risen to every challenge � from review of our state�s bridges after the Minnesota bridge collapse to difficult decisions involving our state�s ferry system,� said Governor Gregoire. �We consulted with the top transportation and public officials in this state and around the country and found that the best candidate for the job was here in our state. Paula is a leader with the vision to tackle Washington�s transportation challenges.�

Hammond becomes the first female to serve as Secretary of Transportation in Washington and will manage the agency and its more than 7,000 employees. The agency maintains 7,000 miles of highways and 3,300 bridges and tunnels. It also operates Washington State Ferries, with 29 boats that carry 26 million passengers per year. Hammond has been serving as Interim Secretary since August, when Doug MacDonald resigned.

Hammond�s 10 year-old daughter Kerry held the family bible as Governor Gregoire administered the oath and Hammond pledged her commitment to uphold the duties of the office. Hammond�s husband Alan and 16 year-old daughter Rachel stood by her side. Hammond�s 18 year-old son Greg, a freshman at Western Washington University, was not able to attend.

"As secretary, I will build upon our agency�s strong record of project delivery and accountability," Hammond said. "I challenge our agency's employees to strive to do better each and every day and to find more ways to help keep our economy strong and Washington's families safe as they travel. We must continue to find innovative ways to tackle congestion, preserve our aging transportation system and protect our environment.�

Hammond, 51, was born and raised in Klamath Falls, Oregon and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University. She has served in numerous capacities at the Washington Department of Transportation over the past 28 years, including Chief of Staff and Interim Secretary.

###