PennDOT Secretary Named to Chair Pa. Turnpike Commission
Leslie Richards is first female Pa. Turnpike chair
As part of a planned reorganization, the Pennyslvania Turnpike Commission has appointed a new slate of leaders, naming Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards as its Chair.
Richards served on the five-member commission in her capacity as the state’s top transportation official. She will continue in that role, which she has held since January 2015. With a $9 million annual budget and more than 11,500 employees, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees more than 40,000 miles of roads and bridges, 38 public transit systems and three ports,
A graduate of Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania, Richards began her career in civil engineering and project management. In addition to holding elected positions on several local governing bodies in suburban Philadelphia, Richards served on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) board, and chaired the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) board.
Other members of the PTC, appointed by the governor for four-year terms, include Pittsburgh businessman William K. Lieberman, who will serve as vice chairman; former Senator John N. Wozniak of Johnstown, Secretary-Treasurer Barry Drew of Mechanicsburg; and Bucks County businessman Pasquale T. (Pat) Deon, Sr., who has served on the Commission since 2002.
