The Senate unanimously confirmed Justin Powell as the Secretary of Transportation on April 2, 20224. Secretary Powell was joined by his wife Ashley, their two children, and his parents for the occasion.
SCFOR congratulates Powell on his confirmation. We know his experience and expertise will serve the state well, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role as he leads the SCDOT.
Powell most recently served as Chief Operating Officer, managing the day-to-day operations of SCDOT. He joined SCDOT in 2019 as Deputy Secretary for Finance and Administration, responsible for SCDOT’s budget, and oversaw the growth of the construction program from $3 billion to $5 billion. In 2022, he was promoted to Chief of Staff, serving as the senior advisor to Secretary Hall, and led numerous strategic initiatives on the Secretary’s behalf.
Powell has extensive experience in local government. Before his career with SCDOT, he served as the Assistant County Administrator in Horry County, where he provided financial leadership to the County’s $500 million roads sales tax program, managed a project to restore freight rail service to a three-county region, and supported the County’s response to numerous disasters and subsequent resiliency efforts. In addition, Powell has worked at other local government agencies, including Dorchester County, the City of Greenville, and Fairfax County, VA.
View the SCDOT’s official press release on Powell’s confirmation here.