The Committee of 100 | Meeting Notes

"Change" increasingly appears to be the byword of the Minner Administration, and nowhere is that byword more apparent than in the Department of Transportation. At first glance, "change" might not seem an appropriate modifier to attach to the new Secretary of Transportation. Nathan Hayward, III is, after all, a pretty familiar guy. However, he personified change in Governor DuPont's administration when he served as the Director of the Office of Management, Budget and Planning as it all changed, and then as the founding Director of the Delaware Development Office. The changes in which he participated during that time were seismic in their impact on Delaware's financial health.

While Nathan is the first to give Anne Canby credit for her accomplishments in making the State (all of us kicking and screaming) face the mandates of first, ISTEA, then, TEA-21, as well as the requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments, he is clearly putting his own stamp on transportation provision in Delaware. He has brought a practical, collaborative, common sense, "let's get it done" attitude to the Department.

He has already taken one of the greatest successes from the Canby era - the incentive/disincentive component of the I-95 North reconstruction--and applied it to three slow-moving projects in each county. He made headlines, and received accolades, for simply spending a day listening to Sussex County officials express their transportation concerns. He is reaching out to legislators, counties, municipalities, and communities. He is cutting through the usual morass to make decisions that make sense. He even intends to make the CIP accessible.

Nathan brings to this position a clear commitment to protect Delaware's quality of life that is balanced by an understanding of the importance of economic development to Delaware's overall health. He understands the role of transportation in keeping that balance. He brings, as well, knowledge of how government works, balanced by the experience gained from his years in the private sector.