Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett listens to former INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness speak before presenting local communities with Community Crossing Grants in November at The Garment Factory in Franklin. Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Thursday McGuinness is leaving to pursue a position in the private sector.
DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTOS
A former Franklin mayor is leaving his leadership position with the state to join the private sector.
After five years as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, Joe McGuinness notified Gov. Eric Holcomb he is stepping down from the post to become the CEO of a new local government infrastructure management consultant company. His last day was Friday.
At the state, McGuinness used his local government experience and INDOT’s resources to find innovative ways to expedite projects and create safer work zones. He finished those projects on budget, Holcomb said in a statement.
“Under (McGuinness’) leadership, Indiana continues to offer a world-class infrastructure system, which remains a key engine to our economic growth and safety. Joe’s legacy is one Hoosiers can be proud of and will have long-lasting positive impacts right here at the crossroads of America,” Holcomb said in a statement.
Before becoming commissioner, McGuinness was Franklin mayor for five years. He had just begun his second term as mayor when Holcomb, then governor-elect, asked him to be commissioner. McGuinness accepted, and resigned as mayor in January 2017.
At INDOT, McGuinness led the effort to expedite the completion of Interstate 69 from Evansville to Indianapolis, moving up the completion date to 2024 from 2027, according to a governor’s office news release.
Work on Interstate 69 has made it to Johnson County, with Banta Road becoming the first State Road 37 traffic signal north of Evansville. Traffic on State Road 37 in Johnson County has been shifted for road work, but the interstate won’t run through the county until next year, according to INDOT.
During McGuinness’s tenure, INDOT maintained and improved more than 29,000 miles of highways and more than 5,700 bridges. The department also partnered with railroads and public airports to deliver infrastructure that has consistently placed Indiana in top national rankings, and parented with construction companies and law enforcement to improve construction zone safety, according to the news release.
He oversaw the largest public transit investment in state history, including the more than $944 million West Lake Corridor extension project, and the more than $490 million double tracking of the South Shore service between Michigan City and Gary, the news release said.
McGuinness also led the department’s efforts to help counties, cities and towns modernize their transportation networks through the Community Crossing and Local Trax matching funding initiatives, awarding more than $1 billion since 2016, according to the news release.
Also under him, the department introduced the Greener Crossroads program, an aggressive and enhanced roadside management program to beautify and promote biodiversity in more than 60,000 acres of medians and roadsides along Indiana’s highways, the news release said.
McGuinness’s time as INDOT commissioner was the honor of a lifetime as the state began transformation projects, he said in a statement.
“While we’ve worked to deliver projects on time and on budget, we’ve looked ahead for the state, and I leave behind an agency that is at the forefront of partnerships to explore new technology. I thank Gov. Holcomb for the opportunity to serve and his leadership, which allowed INDOT to continue to move Indiana forward,” McGuinness said.
He will be replaced by Mike Smith, INDOT deputy commissioner and chief financial officer. Smith will begin his new role on Monday.
