Idaho Transportation Department

Idaho Transportation Department
Director – Brian Ness
A life-long transportation professional, Brian W. Ness was appointed Director of the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) in November 2009. He is responsible for an annual budget of approximately $800 million and provides leadership and vision for more than 1,650 employees.

Director Ness is a member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Board of Directors, the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (WASHTO) Board of Directors, the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Board of Directors, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) Board of Directors, and the Idaho Rural Partnership’s Board of Directors. He is also a member of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region Idaho Council, and was appointed by the Governor to chair the Idaho Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Testing and Deployment Committee.

In 2019, Director Ness became President of the ARTBA’s Transportation Officials Division. ARTBA represents the combined interests of the contracting industry, the consulting community, and the owners of the transportation system. Functioning as a non-partisan federation based in Washington D.C., ARTBA advances public policy designed to increase federal transportation investment and improve the efficiency of the project-delivery process.

In 2018, Director Ness was appointed to TRB’s Executive Committee and in addition serves on their Subcommittee on Planning and Policy Review (SPPR). The TRB is a unit of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and serves as an independent adviser to the President of the United States, the Congress, and federal and state agencies on scientific and technical transportation issues of national importance.

Director Ness served as Chair of the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation until 2017. He testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Research and Technology in 2019 on “The Need for a National Surface Transportation Research Agenda.”

Director Ness chaired the AASHTO Special Committee on Transportation Security and Emergency Management (SCOTSEM) until August 2017. Through his leadership of SCOTSEM, he achieved national recognition for applying his organizational model to emergency management and security, which has helped reshape SCOTSEM’s strategic plan.

In 2015, Director Ness was President of WASHTO. In this position, he served as a regional representative to AASHTO’s Executive Committee. In addition, Director Ness sponsored the WASHTO Highway Transport Committee, and was the creator and sponsor of WASHTO’s Emerging Leaders Program.

Under Director Ness’ leadership, the Idaho Technology Council recognized the department as a finalist for Innovative Company of the Year in 2016, and for a second time in 2019. On both occasions, ITD was the only public-service state agency nominated. Director Ness received the 2016 Navigator Award from the national organization, Route Fifty. The award, in the “Agency and Department Chiefs” category, is based on his citizen-focused approach to government and transformative style. Director Ness was named Trine University’s (formerly Tri-State University) 2014 Alumni of the Year.

ITD began an employee-driven innovation program in 2014. Since that time, the department has implemented more than 1,700 innovations, saved nearly $35 million, created 691 customer-service improvements, and saved 540,000 contractor and employee hours.

In 2013, ITD earned AASHTO’s President’s Award for Administration for its realignment efforts. Director Ness was honored in 2012 as Leader of the Year by the Treasure Valley Chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar, and since Director Ness joined the department, ITD has received nearly 170 national awards for its programs and projects, including the prestigious Francis B. Francois Award for Innovation. Under Ness, ITD has won 17 AASHTO President’s Transportation Awards, competing against all other state departments of transportation. Statistically, ITD should have only won two or three of these awards.

Director Ness is a nationally recognized authority on organizational realignment and speaks regularly at national conferences for both the public and private sectors about how to structure a more effective and accountable state government. He conducts seminars each year on his “Nine Steps to a Results-Focused Culture” for the National Transportation Leadership Institute’s (NTLI) senior and executive-level management courses.

Director Ness earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Tri-State University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan and Idaho. Before becoming director at ITD, he worked for 30 years at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), holding a variety of positions in research, operations, aeronautics, construction, and project development. Director Ness ended his career with MDOT as the North Region Administrator/Engineer.

Chief Deputy – Scott Stokes
Scott Stokes, a 30-year Idaho Transportation Department veteran, became chief deputy in 2007 after a long tenure as district engineer in northern Idaho. As chief deputy, Mr. Stokes oversees the divisions of Aeronautics, Motor Vehicles, Public Transportation, and highway bonding programs, and has primary responsibility for much of the department’s daily operations.

Mr. Stokes is chairman of the Idaho Traffic Safety Commission and is intimately involved in all facets of highway safety for the department. He is a leading advocate of the drive to achieve zero deaths on Idaho highways by promoting driver responsibility and accountability. In support of ITD’s strategic plan, Mr. Stokes also is engaged in the department’s internal and external efforts to promote economic opportunity through transportation and to increase mobility for Idaho businesses and travelers.

Mr. Stokes joined the department in 1992 and served as the state bridge engineer early in his career. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Brigham Young University and worked for a private Idaho engineering firm eight years developing community public works projects and regional commercial developments before joining ITD.

The Idaho Transportation Board announced Mr. Stokes as the next ITD Director on October 1, 2021. He will replace long time Director Brian Ness after he retires on May 28, 2022

Chief Operations Officer – Dan McElhinney
Dan McElhinney accepted the position of Chief Operations Officer for the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) effective August 10, 2020, after an extensive national search. As the Chief Operations Officer for ITD, he provides leadership and support to the six District Engineers and district employees across the state in highway planning, design, construction, maintenance and traffic operations helping to serve the traveling public and local communities. Daily our 1600 ITD employees are focused on operating and improving an integrated network of over 12,000 highway lane miles with over 1,800 bridges, 34 rest areas, and 12 fixed ports of entry.

Dan brings a wealth of experience with him to ITD. During his career, he has dealt with many issues that our department will be facing such as rapid growth, innovative contracting and autonomous vehicles. He has demonstrated a history of seeing tough projects through to the finish line and bringing diverse groups together. Dan has quickly become a very valuable asset to our team as he is the kind of collaborative leader who brings people together to make us the best transportation department in the country.

Dan comes to ITD from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) where he served as District 10 Director in Stockton. As District Director, he was responsible for overseeing more than 3,500 lane miles in eight counties, leading 600 employees and managing a nearly $2 billion capital program asset management plan and an annual operating budget of more than $150 million. He also brings experience serving on a variety of commissions and policy councils. As District Director, Dan served as Commissioner on the Delta Protection Commission and as a Caltrans Ex-Officio member of the San Joaquin Regional Rail/Altamont Corridor Express Commission, the Stanislaus Council of Governments, and the San Joaquin Council of Governments. He previously served a six-year term as a Commissioner on the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission (BCDC) and on the BCDC Sea Level Rise Policy Group.

Prior to accepting the District 10 position, Dan served as the San Francisco Bay Area District 4 Chief Deputy Director where he was responsible for over 7,000 lane miles in nine counties for 16 years where he led more than 3,000 employees and had oversight for a construction program in excess of $10 billion during that time. Dan also served as the State Toll Bridge Program Manager leading rehabilitation or replacement of 7 toll bridges covering 20 miles of Bay Area crossings in partnership with the Bay Area Toll Authority. Previously he was a Deputy District Director/Principal Manager of the Caltrans North Region of 22 counties. These are just a few of the many positions that he held during his 32 years at Caltrans. Dan is a licensed civil engineer who graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering with Minors in Surveying and Metallurgy.

Chief Human Resources Officer – Brenda Williams
Brenda Williams brought an extensive background in human resources to the Idaho Transportation Department in October 2013 when she became the department’s Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). Recently, she was the Area Human Resources Manager for Republic Services (formerly Allied Waste Services), in Salt Lake City, where she provided strategic leadership for multiple states. She achieved key business objectives in the areas of development, succession planning, and performance management. Republic is a Fortune 500 company that specializes in environmental services with 31,000 employees in 40 states, including Idaho.

Williams was also the Director of Human Resources for Comcast Corp., (formerly AT&T Broadband), in Salt Lake City, for multiple locations throughout the state. She was instrumental in driving employee engagement through management and employee action teams. Williams was promoted to the position after serving as Director of Staffing and Organizational Development for AT&T Broadband.

Chief Administrative Officer – Charlene McArthur
After a successful career in the private sector, Charlene “Char” McArthur assumed the position of Chief Administrative Officer at the Idaho Transportation Department in October 2013. She previously served as the Global Corporate Controller for the Fluke Corp., a Danaher Operating Company located in Everett, Wash. She was responsible for the company’s financial reporting, internal control, and managing working capital targets of more than 20 subsidiaries throughout the world.

Char attributes her success to developing skilled, dedicated and engaged employees who strategically focus continuous improvement efforts on the organization’s strategic priorities. McArthur, a Boise native, graduated from Boise State University with a BBA in accounting. She has worked in both public accounting and private industry. Char is a licensed CPA.
 

Chief External Affairs Officer – Mollie McCarty
Mollie McCarty was appointed to the Idaho Transportation Department’s executive team as the first Chief External Affairs Officer in November of 2021, after 23 years with the department in communication and governmental affairs positions. From 2008 to 2021, McCarty led the department’s policy and government relations efforts during several key transportation initiatives including Governor Otter’s 2011 Task Force on Modernizing Transportation Funding and the Idaho Legislature’s 2015 transportation revenue enhancement.

McCarty also served the department from 1998 to 2008 as Public Information Officer for the southwest Idaho district during the first and second construction stages of the WYE Interchange in the Treasure Valley.

Prior to her service at the transportation department, McCarty managed public relations projects at advertising agency Elgin Syferd Drake (now Drake Cooper). She also worked in television and radio news broadcasting for 10 years, starting as a reporter and advancing to anchor. Her last seven years were in Boise at CBS affiliate KBOI TV.

McCarty holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., with a broadcast emphasis.