Inslee Appoints New Washington State Transportation Secretary

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Lynn Peterson to become Washington's next transportation secretary.

Peterson, a top transportation and sustainability adviser to Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, will replace current transportation secretary Paula Hammond, who announced her retirement in a letter to WSDOT staff on Tuesday.

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Hammond was appointed to the position in 2007 by former Gov. Christine Gregoire. Her last day on the job will be March 8.

"Paula has done valuable work at WSDOT," Inslee said in a news release. "Her leadership has made it possible for us to move forward on some of our state's most significant projects, from the Alaskan Way Viaduct and SR 520 to intelligent transportation systems and incident response. She deserves our thanks and appreciation."

Peterson holds master's degrees in civil and environmental engineering and urban and regional planning. She previously served as a Clackamas County Council member and transportation planner for Oregon's TriMet transit agency, according to Willamette Week. 

Inslee named several other new cabinet members today, including Carol Kobuke Nelson as head of the Department of Revenue and Nicholas Brown as his general counsel. Scott Jarvis was reappointed as Director of the Department of Financial Institutions.