SC Senate confirms Justin P. Powell as Secretary of Transportation

SCDOT Commission Appoints Justin Powell as next Secretary of Transportation

Photo: SCDOT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– On Tuesday, the South Carolina Senate confirmed Justin P. Powell to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation.

Powell was appointed by the South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation on January 18.

“Mr. Powell has demonstrated he is ready to lead SCDOT into the future as the Secretary of Transportation. Together, we will continue our work to improve the road and bridge network across the state and to keep South Carolina moving,” Pamela L. Christopher, Chair of the SCDOT Commission said.

Powell most recently served as chief operating officer at SCDOT and managed its $5 billion construction program and maintenance of the nation’s fourth-largest state highway system.

He joined SCDOT in 2019 as the deputy secretary for finance and administration with responsibility for SCDOT’s $2.7 billion budget and oversaw the growth of the construction program from $3 billion to $5 billion.

Before being promoted, in 2022, he served as the chief of staff, serving as the senior advisor to the secretary of transportation and led numerous strategic initiatives on the secretary’s behalf.

“I appreciate the trust and confidence of the South Carolina Senate in my ability to lead this organization. It is an honor to serve and to me there is no higher calling than to serve the people of South Carolina. I look forward to continuing the tremendous progress of the South Carolina Department of Transportation and to the bright future ahead for all South Carolinians.” said Powell.

He began his tenure as secretary after former secretary Christy A. Hall retired last month and he is serving as the seventeenth agency head of the South Carolina Department of Transportation.