Governor Kotek Convenes Vision Group to Chart Oregon’s Transportation Future

Salem, OR – The first meeting of Governor Tina Kotek’s Rebuilding Our Transportation Vision Workgroup (Workgroup) will take place on Friday, May 1 at 9:00 am at the Governor’s Office in the Oregon State Capitol. The meeting will be livestreamed.

“Oregon's state and local transportation agencies can only deliver the safe, accessible and reliable transportation system Oregonians deserve if they have clear objectives and are properly resourced,” Governor Kotek said. “This effort will help the state come together and put Oregon’s transportation system back on track.”

Oregon’s transportation system faces a structural funding challenge caused by persistent cost inflation and flat gas tax revenues as vehicles become more fuel-efficient. The Workgroup is charged with developing recommendations to improve and sustain the transportation systems that communities across the state rely on every day.

Workgroup Leadership and Membership

The Workgroup is co-chaired by transportation leader Grace Crunican and former lawmaker Bruce Hanna. Additional details on the co-chairs and the Workgroup’s charge are available in the initial announcement.

The Workgroup includes 12 members representing diverse business, transit, government, environmental, and tourism backgrounds:

• Grace Crunican – Co-Chair: Crunican is a transportation leader known for managing infrastructure systems. She has served as General Manager of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, the Director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, and led the Seattle Department of Transportation.
• Bruce Hanna – Co-Chair: Hanna served five terms in the Oregon House of Representatives representing the Roseburg area, including as Co-Speaker of the House in 2011-12. In addition to his public service, Hanna has built a long career in the beverage distribution industry.
• Julie Brown: Brown is the Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission and General Manager for the Rogue Valley Transportation District. She has 30 years of experience in transportation planning and service implementation.
• Ted Aadland: Aadland is a member of the ODOT Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee and former president of Associated General Contractors. With more than 40 years of heavy highway experience, he has supervised more than 200 transportation improvement projects, with experience in freight rail, highways, transit and light rail.
• Gale Castillo: Castillo is one of the founders of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber and the co-owner of Brown Castillo, LLC, a property management company. She is the past President and co-owner of Canopy, one of the largest privately held companies that provides a variety of mental health and wellness services globally.
• Dan Dorran: Dorran is a Umatilla County Commissioner. He is the Chair of the North East Area Commission on Transportation and Co-Chair of the Association of Oregon Counties Transportation and Community Development Subcommittee. Dorran also serves on the Oregon Road User Fee Task Force.
• Tyler Frisbee: Frisbee is the Director of the Institute of Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University and has worked in transportation policy at the federal, state, regional, and local levels, focusing on building multimodal systems and advancing policy work to support major capital projects. She also represents District 4 on the TriMet Board.
• Jeff Gritz: Gritz is the Business Manager of LIUNA Oregon and Southern Idaho, the Laborers’ International Union of North America. Gritz has served on many public, private and community boards across Oregon, including the Oregon Building Trades Council, Pendleton Building & Construction Trades Council, and Eastern Oregon Workforce Board.
• Chris Hagerbaumer: Hagerbaumer is Executive Director of OpenAQ, an environmental tech nonprofit. Previously at Oregon Environmental Council, she worked to develop and advocate for environmentally friendly, people-focused transportation solutions as transportation program director then deputy director.
• Patrick Nofield: Nofield is Chairman and co-founder of Escape Lodging Company, a lodging and restaurant operator/developer with 16 properties located throughout Western Oregon. He is Immediate Past Chair of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association and previously served as Chairman of the Oregon Tourism Commission.
• Jim Trett: Trett served as the Mayor of Detroit from 2017-2026 and previously served on the Detroit city council. Trett is a former president of the Oregon Mayors Association and served 34 years at the Keizer Fire Department.
• Lisa Sumption (non-voting): Sumption is the Interim Director of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Sumption has served as the Director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department since 2014. Sumption is one of the longest-serving agency directors on the Governor's Enterprise Leadership team.

Areas of Focus

Workgroup members will partner with subject-matter experts to develop reports in six key areas that will inform the Workgroup’s final framework:

• Revenue and Finance
• Freight
• Transit
• Major Projects
• Maintenance, Operations and Emergency Management
• Community Livability and Safety

The Workgroup will meet roughly once a month through November. Final recommendations will be delivered to Governor Kotek by the end of the year. Public engagement opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks and months.

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