Gov.-Elect Terry McAuliffe has selected his Secretary of Transportation, who will replace current transportation chief and former Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sean Connaughton.
More in a press release:
Virginia Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe on Friday announced his selection of Aubrey Layne as Secretary of Transportation at the Norfolk International Terminal.
Layne, a resident of Virginia Beach, has been a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board since 2009. The selection of Layne as Secretary of Transportation signifies McAuliffe’s commitment to tackling the transportation challenges facing the Hampton Roads region and the entire Commonwealth, as well as his continued efforts to put together a bipartisan administration focused on working with members of both parties to strengthen Virginia’s economy.
“Aubrey’s experience in statewide transportation planning and in the private sector give him valuable perspective on the pivotal role that transportation planning, construction and maintenance play in creating an environment where businesses can locate and thrive,” said Governor-elect McAuliffe. “He will be a Secretary of Transportation for the entire Commonwealth, and together we will work to find bipartisan, statewide solutions to growing our economy, creating more jobs here, and improving the quality of life for all Virginians.”
Layne added, “The Governor-elect has made a more modern, efficient transportation system a principal goal of his administration, and I am ready to take on that challenge and hit the ground running to do what we need to do to improve our transportation infrastructure.”
Both Governor-elect McAuliffe and Secretary-designate Layne also commended Governor McDonnell and the bipartisan legislature for passing the transportation funding package earlier this year, noting that it was a major step forward in making the necessary improvements in Virginia’s transportation system.
Connaughton lives in Triangle and was appointed Virginia Secretary of Transportation by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell after he won the seat in 2009. Prior to serving in Richmond, Connaughton was elected to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in 1999 and again in 2003 where he served as its chairman until 2006.
For the first and only time during his tenure as secretary, Connaughton addressed a Virginia County Board of Supervisors in August when he told the Prince William Board a proposed Bi-County Parkway would be used to carry light cargo between Dulles International Airport and Interstate 95.
