Governor Ducey appoints new member to State Transportation Board

PHOENIX – Governor Doug Ducey has appointed Pliny Draper to the State Transportation Board, representing the Northern Arizona region in the planning and development of Arizona’s transportation network. 

The seven members of the State Transportation Board serve six-year terms while representing local communities throughout Arizona to prioritize transportation needs, projects and funding. Draper will represent Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties during his board tenure.

Draper is a member of the Navajo Nation and lives in Apache County on the Navajo Reservation near Chinle and the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. He is also half Hopi.

“One of our main areas of focus in Arizona is economic development and how transportation projects will improve our economy,” said Draper. “As we work to enhance job growth and economic development, we also need to work with the tribes and work together to develop a better statewide transportation system. We need to be brave and step forward as we compete with European, Asian and other international markets. We need to think big.”

His appointment requires confirmation by the Arizona State Senate. Draper attended his first board meeting by phone on May 15. The board met in Chino Valley.

Draper spent his career in architecture and construction administration, working on and overseeing large projects in several major cities, including Boston, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Pasadena and Honolulu. Projects included schools, hospitals and hotel resorts. Draper’s projects in Honolulu included two 40-floor high-rises, an airport terminal, an automated people mover system and light rail stations.

Now retired, Draper focuses on ranching and his work as an historian. He is also a member of the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs and is a graduate of Arizona State University.

About the State Transportation Board

The seven-member State Transportation Board has policy powers and duties, in addition to serving in an advisory capacity to the director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. Members of the board are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Arizona State Senate to six-year terms. The board has broad authority to plan and develop Arizona’s highways, airports and other state transportation facilities. In addition to these general policy duties, the board is responsible for development and oversight of the state’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. More information on the State Transportation Board is available at aztransportationboard.gov.