Contributor
Pete K. Rahn
Biography provided by participant
Pete Rahn joined HNTB Corporation in April 2010 as senior vice president and leader of the global infrastructure consulting firm's national transportation practice. He is responsible for developing and directing strategies that enhance HNTB's service to state departments of transportation across the country. Rahn previously served six years as director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, where he led more than 6,000 employees responsible for providing a safe and efficient transportation system to the people of Missouri. From 1995 to 2002 he held the post of Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department. On the national level, Rahn is a past president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), an organization that represents all state DOTs. He also is a past member of the AASHTO board of directors and chaired the association's standing committee on performance management. Additionally, Rahn recently served on the executive committee of the Transportation Research Board. Rahn has received the Lester P. Lamm Memorial Award in recognition of his outstanding public service, leadership and dedication to the nation's highway transportation program. In 2009, Governing magazine named him as a "Public Official of the Year" for his positive impact on transportation. On April 21, he accepted a "2010 Leadership Award" from the Design-Build Institute of America. Raised in New Mexico, Rahn graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor of arts in government and a bachelor of science in planning. He and his wife, Sue, have two children. In his free time he enjoys family and outdoor activities.
Recent Responses
May 17, 2011 04:17 PM
Make information accessible
Not only is the public fully entitled to know how tax dollars are spent — and the return on investment — it is in the best interest of state departments of transportation to ensure that information is easily available to any interested party. There is so much distrust of government in general and a sense that any money given to it may be wasted; being transparent and accountable must be an integral part of every DOT’s mission.
My experience includes serving as CEO of two state DOTs for nearly 14 years. Both departments became recognized leaders in their respective states utilizing a “performance management” approach: establishing a strategic direction that focused on exceeding customer expectations and gauging success through outcome-based measures. Each state had high customer satisfaction rates and high trust ratings from the public in general. These accomplishments would not have been possible without identified goals, benchmarks and measures that were regularly distributed to the administration, legislators, media and the public.
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