Governor appoints two new members to State Transportation Board

PHOENIX – Governor Doug Ducey has appointed Jenn Daniels, the mayor of Gilbert, and Richard Searle, a longtime Cochise County leader from the community of Pearce, to serve on the State Transportation Board.

Upon confirmation by the state Senate, Daniels will represent the Maricopa County region, while Searle will represent Cochise, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties.

The State Transportation Board’s seven members serve six-year-terms, prioritizing transportation needs, projects and funding on behalf of communities throughout Arizona.

Daniels has served as the mayor of Gilbert since 2016 and has been on the Town Council since 2009. She has served on regional boards including the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council and was chair of MAG’s Transportation Policy Committee. Daniels has also served on the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and League of Cities and Towns Executive Committee.

“Solutions to today’s transportation challenges will require creative and forward-thinking ideas and plans, advocates, collaboration and a commitment to future generations,” Daniels said. “I am committed to keeping fiscal responsibility and integrity at the forefront of everything we do.”

Searle has been engaged in transportation issues through his service on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors from 2005-2016. He represented the county in transportation planning roles at the city, county and state level. He also developed transportation policies for Cochise County to improve road maintenance. He has been a member of various organizations including the Arizona Cattle Growers Association, American Pistachio Growers Association, Western Bank and the Cochise County Farm Bureau.

“I appreciate the opportunity to represent Southeastern Arizona on the Transportation Board and am honored by the appointment,” Searle said. “Priorities would include not only making sure transportation issues in Cochise, Greenlee, and Santa Cruz Counties are addressed but also helping ADOT deal timely and efficiently with the challenges statewide. I look forward to learning how I can be a part of making long-lasting changes that improve how we handle transportation in Arizona.”

About the State Transportation Board

The seven-member State Transportation Board has policy powers and duties, in addition to advising the director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. Members of the board are appointed by the governor and serve 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