DOT’s first woman commissioner approved by board, starts job Dec. 1
October 19, 2007 at 8:16 am by Thomas Wheatley in NewsGena Abraham squeaked in the door and made Georgia history in the process.
After a bitter six-week battle between political factions both jockeying for their pick, the Georgia Department of Transportation board voted 7-6 to approve the 38-year-old Abraham as the first woman to ever head the powerful — and until yesterday, mostly male-dominated — department on Wednesday.
Starting Nov. 1, Abraham will act as commissioner-elect and shadow outgoing Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl, a 40-year career employee who rose through the ranks to head the state agency that has a workforce of 5,800 employees and oversees a $2 billion annual budget. She takes over the reins on Dec. 1.
At a news media Q&A on Thursday, Abraham shook questions about any ill will from the bitter race for the position against state Rep. Vance Smith, her competitor for the seat, only saying that she was looking forward to working with him when the legislative session begins in January.
Her main objectives, she said: Improving efficiency and developing a comprehensive state transportation plan. Public-private initiatives — joint efforts by government and businesses to produce transportation solutions — will need to be examined and considered by the DOT in a cash-strapped time such as now.
Prior to being appointed as a state property officer by Gov. Sonny Perdue in February 2006, Abraham served as the executive secretary and director of construction at the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission. She is a former chief engineer for the Georgia Building Authority. Prior to her state government work, Abraham taught civil engineering at Georgia Tech — her alma mater — and managed construction for a private company.
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