AASHTO Journal - AASHTO Names Boardman Safety Committee Chair

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has named Kristina Boardman (above), the new secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, to a two-year term as chair of its Committee on Safety.

[Above photo by Wisconsin DOT]

The AASHTO Committee on Safety supports state efforts to advance multidisciplinary approaches to eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries and serves as a resource for the AASHTO community on technical and policy issues related to safety.

Formerly deputy secretary of the Wisconsin DOT, Boardman officially became secretary on September 12 after former secretary Craig Thompson – who also served as president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – stepped down on September 11 to join the University of Wisconsin-Madison as vice chancellor of university relations.

A nearly 20-year veteran of the agency, Boardman is the first woman to lead the Wisconsin DOT after serving in a variety of roles, including administrator of the Division of Motor Vehicles or DMV.

She spent nearly three decades working for state government in a variety of roles, including 10 years as a legislative aide for the Wisconsin State Assembly, before transitioning to Wisconsin DOT in 2005. Boardman also served as chair of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators International Board of Directors for 2022-2023.

Patrick McKenna – the previous chair of the AASHTO Committee on Safety – praised the selection of Boardman in a farewell note to its members.

“Kristina is no stranger to safety at the state and national level and is an excellent choice to lead this committee,” he said.

McKenna, who served as the director of the Missouri Department of Transportation for nine years and as AASHTO president for 2019-2020, will become the president and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation on October 7.

“I want to thank you for your dedication to safety in your agencies, the AASHTO community, and your daily lives,” McKenna added in his note.

“And special thanks to my Vice Chair John Milton and AASHTO’s Kelly Hardy without whom the committee would not function,” he said. “During my tenure as chair, I’ve gotten to know many of you, and together we have helped raised the focus on safety within AASHTO and beyond. I know you will continue to sustain this level of commitment within the association and with our partners.”