Dan O'Neal to chair State Transportation Commission
Posted 7.3.12
Transportation Commission Office - PO Box 47308 - Olympia, WA 98504-7308
(360) 705-7070
Date: July 3, 2012
Contact: Reema Griffith, Transportation Commission Executive Director, 360-705-7070
Dan O’Neal, a resident of Mason County, has been elected to serve as chairman of the Washington State Transportation Commission. He will succeed Commissioner Dick Ford of Seattle, who has chaired the commission for the last two years. Commissioner Tom Cowan, who lives in the San Juan Islands, will serve as vice-chair. Commission members elect new officers annually; their terms become effective on July 1.
O’Neal has been a member of the Transportation Commission since 2003. He is on the board of directors of Greenbrier Companies (GBX), a publicly traded railroad car leasing and manufacturing company, and has owned and operated transportation and software businesses. O’Neal has worked to gain private and public-sector support for improved freight transportation infrastructure, and served as chair of the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board. He is a member of the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council. Prior to joining a law firm in 1980 he was chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission and also served as transportation counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee chaired by Senator Warren Magnuson.
Cowan has been a member of the Transportation Commission since 2011. A public policy consultant and manager of marine resources restoration projects, Cowan was formerly the director of the congressionally authorized Northwest Straits Commission and a former assistant director for the Puget Sound Action Team. He was a San Juan County Commissioner for 12 years and served as president of the Washington State Association of Counties. He and his wife have owned and operated an electrical contracting firm and a hardware and building supply store. Cowan is currently chair of the San Juan County Land Bank and a board member of the SeaDoc Society. He leads the commission team examining the feasibility of transitioning from the gas tax to a road user charge as a major funding source for transportation.
The Washington State Transportation Commission is an independent state agency that provides a public forum for transportation policy development. It reviews and evaluates how the entire transportation system works across the state and issues the state’s 20-year Transportation Plan. As the state tolling authority, the commission sets tolls for state highways and bridges and fares for Washington State Ferries. The seven-member board is comprised of private citizens who are appointed by the Governor for six-year terms.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information
Materials can be provided in alternative formats: large print, Braille, cassette tape, or on computer disk for people with disabilities by calling the WSDOT Human Resource Office at 360-705-7097. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact Human Resources through the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1.
Title VI Statement to Public
WSDOT ensures full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by prohibiting discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex in the provision of benefits and services resulting from its federally assisted programs and activities. For questions regarding WSDOT's Title VI Program, you may contact the Department's Title VI Coordinator at 360-705-7098 or 509-324-6018.