Maryland’s tolling chief will be its next secretary of transportation.
Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday he named James F. Ports Jr. — executive director of the Maryland Transportation Agency — to lead the Maryland Department of Transportation. Ports will succeed Secretary Greg Slater, who is leaving the post for a job opportunity in another state.
“Jim Ports has served in major transportation roles at the federal, state and local levels, and he is the right person to continue building on all of our record investments in both roads and transit,” Hogan said in a statement.
Ports’ responsibilities at the MDTA included oversight of highway toll facilities and the state’s E-ZPass system. He also served as MDOT’s deputy secretary for two prior administrations, deputy administrator for the National Highway Transit Safety Administration and chief executive for the Harford County transit system.
“I am incredibly honored to have the trust of Gov. Hogan and the opportunity to lead the dedicated professionals at the Maryland Department of Transportation,” Ports said in a news release.
“We will continue to deliver on all of the services that are part of Marylanders’ daily lives, and the incredible infrastructure progress that we’re making everywhere across the state. I want to personally thank Greg Slater for his friendship and his leadership.”
James F. Ports, Jr. has been sworn-in as MDOT Secretary by @GovLarryHogan. He’d previously served 2x as Deputy Sec. & was most recently @TheMDTA Exec. Dir. A @USMC veteran, Sec. Ports was also a state legislator for more than 10 years. More: https://t.co/8ccb5JmfhK #MDOTscenes pic.twitter.com/MTH7ro97l0
— MDTransportationDept (@MDOTNews) January 11, 2022
