SCDOT commission appoints Justin Powell as next secretary of transportation

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– The South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission appointed Justin P. Powell to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation at a meeting on Thursday morning.

Powell’s appointment comes following the announcement of Secretary of Transportation of Christy A. Hall retiring.

His appointment will be submitted to the South Carolina Senate for confirmation.

“We have established tremendous momentum under Secretary Hall’s leadership and we are fully assured that Mr. Powell is the best person to move us forward and keep improving upon that success. We have seen that our best leaders come from within the agency – Mr. Powell has demonstrated that he clearly understands the complexity of this agency and is going to be ready to hit the ground running on day one,” Chairman of the Commission Pamela Christopher said.

Before working for SCDOT, Powell served as assistant county administrator in Horry County where he provided financial leadership to the County’s $500 million roads sales tax program, managed a project to restore freight rail service to a three-county region, and supported the County’s response to numerous disasters and subsequent resiliency efforts.

Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall expressed her confidence in his ability to lead the agency.

“I look forward to working together with him over the coming weeks to ensure a successful transition,” Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall, P.E. said.

Powell who currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer expressed how honored and humbled he is to be appointed for the position.

“Our most important asset at SCDOT is our people and I am committed to supporting our employees as they continue to diligently serve our great state. To me, there is no higher calling to serve the people of South Carolina and I look forward to the bright future ahead,” said Powell.