CEO Roundtable

Russell R. McMurry, P.E., serves as commissioner for the Georgia Department of Transportation, the state agency responsible for the nation’s 10th largest state transportation system, with an operating budget of over $3.5 billion and a staff of nearly 4,000. Commissioner McMurry began his career with the department in 1990 as an engineering intern working in construction; he served in a variety of roles prior to being named chief engineer. He was then appointed by Governor Nathan Deal as the department’s planning director before being appointed as commissioner by unanimous vote of the State Transportation Board in 2015.

McMurry currently serves as secretary/treasurer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as well as chair of the Council on Highways and Streets and a member of the Strategic Management Committee; he is a member of the national AASHTO-AGC-ARTBA Joint Policy Committee; and is a board member for the Atlanta Transit Link Authority (ATL), Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), the State Depository Board and the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. He represents the department on the Georgia Commission on Freight and Logistics, and is also a member of the College of Engineering & Information Technology (CEIT) Corporate Advisory Committee at Georgia Southern University as well as the University of Georgia College of Engineering Advisory Board.

McMurry has received numerous accolades and recognitions, including being named Georgia Trend’s 2018 Georgian of the Year, and is consistently included in its list of the 100 Most Influential Georgians. He was also named one of Atlanta’s most powerful leaders in Atlanta Magazine’s “Atlanta 500” and named as one of James Magazine’s 2017 and 2019 Most Influential Georgians. McMurry graduated cum laude from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Georgia.

As Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Paul Degges oversees the design and implementation of the Department’s engineering projects as well as the maintenance, preservation, and operation of Tennessee’s state highway assets.

Serving in this capacity since 2004, he has overseen the awarding of over $17 billion in highway contracts. He is responsible for the activities of 12 divisions and 4 regional offices. In addition to these responsibilities, Paul works closely with appointed and elected officials on a state and national level in formulating transportation policy.

Paul received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and is a licensed engineer. Beginning his career with TDOT in 1988, Paul has worked within several disciplines including field construction, roadway design, information systems, hydraulic design and structures.

Paul currently serves as Vice Chairman of the American Association of State      Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Council on Highways and      Streets. He is also active in many other aspects of the transportation field.

Eric Boyette was named secretary for the North Carolina Department of Transportation by Governor Roy Cooper in February 2020. As transportation secretary, Boyette oversees one of the largest state-maintained highway systems in the nation, and all modes of transportation, including aviation, ferries, rail, public transit and bicycle and pedestrian transportation, as well as the Office of Civil Rights and Division of Motor Vehicles.

He is the chairman of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority Board of Directors and serves on the State Ports Authority Board of Directors, Global TransPark Board of Directors and State Emergency Response Commission.

Boyette brings more than 25 years of state government experience in various roles, with responsibilities ranging from technical to financial practices. He previously served as the secretary and state chief information officer for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. He has also held several key roles at NCDOT, including chief information officer, inspector general and Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner.

As secretary and state chief information officer at NCDIT, Boyette led the state department responsible for all IT procurement, state cybersecurity, operational services, broadband infrastructure, solutions division, data analytics center, the N.C. 911 Board and strategic IT planning.

He has been recognized numerous times for serving North Carolina with distinction. In 2019, he was awarded Golden Gov: State Executive of the Year and GovTech’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers. He was also named Public Sector CIO of the Year by NC Tech (2019) and the Triangle Business Journal (2016). He received the Old North State Award in 2017, and achieved Eagle Scout rank, the Boy Scouts of America’s highest award, in 1989.

Boyette earned a Bachelor of Science from Barton College. He is a Kenly native, where he lives with his wife Dana, son Jay and daughter Morgan, and serves on the board for the Kenly Volunteer Fire Department.

Daniel Halsted has been the TSMO Engineer within the Traffic Engineering Department in South Carolina DOT for three years. He has worked for SCDOT for over six years - working in the Traffic Signals office prior to his current position.

Prior to his time with SCDOT, Daniel served 20 years in the US Air Force as a pilot and also worked in Aviation Safety and Emergency Management positions. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University. He lives near Columbia, SC with his wife and three kids.