Paul Trombino III – formerly director of the Iowa department of transportation from 2011 to 2016 and president of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for its 2015-2016 term – has been nominated by the Trump administration to head up the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Trombino – currently president of McClure Engineering Company, a civil engineering firm focused on transportation, aviation, water, and structures projects – is an advocate of improving U.S. freight efficiency as he strongly believes it gives the nation a “competitive edge” in the global economy.
“From my perspective, freight is a major issue,” he explained during an interview when he served as AASHTO’s president. “We must find a way to make freight movements more efficient.”
Trombino added during that interview greater efficiency is critical for each mode within the supply chain – trucks, rail, water, even shipper facilities – because the more efficient freight is, the more competitive the U.S. economy is.
“Our highway system one of the prime drivers of our nation’s economic growth,” he emphasized. “It’s a global competitive advantage and it’s why other countries are pouring billions into transportation infrastructure today. They’ve seen how the U.S. economy changed and benefited from our transportation system over the last 50 to 60 years; now they want that same competitive advantage.”
“Paul has been an important leader in transportation for many years. His emphasis on transportation as a key part of economic development – particularly the movement of freight and goods in a global economy – has helped frame national policy and investments,” noted Bud Wright, AASHTO’s executive director, in a statement. “We look forward to working [with him] on important issues facing the national transportation system.”