AASHTO Journal - Dr. Eric Kalivoda Named Louisiana DOTD Secretary

Governor John Bel Edwards (D) has named Dr. Eric Kalivoda (above right) as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, replacing Dr. Shawn Wilson (above left), who steps down on March 4.

[Above photo by the Louisiana DOTD]

“I want to thank Dr. Kalivoda for his willingness to fill this role,” said Gov. Edwards in a statement. “Under the leadership of Dr. Shawn Wilson, DOTD has had historic success, and I know that will continue under Dr. Kalivoda. There are currently more DOTD projects underway than ever before. We are tackling major projects that Louisianans could previously only dream of, taking full advantage of unprecedented opportunities to upgrade our infrastructure, grow our economy, and improve quality of life for our people.”

Dr. Eric Kalivoda. Photo by the Louisiana DOTD.

“Having worked alongside Eric for more than a decade, I can say with the utmost confidence that there is no one better prepared to fill this role,” noted Dr. Wilson. “Eric has the experience and dedication needed to continue our work making crucial, major improvements to our state’s network of roads, bridges, ports, rail and more.”

“I am grateful that Gov. Edwards has chosen me to lead DOTD,” said Dr. Kalivoda. “I am confident that my years of experience within the department have prepared me for this opportunity. Luckily, I take over a department filled with hardworking men and women who are excited to continue bringing world-class infrastructure improvements to the people of our state.”

In a separate statement, the Louisiana DOTD noted that Dr. Kalivoda has served on the agency’s executive staff as deputy secretary for the past 12 years. He also previously served as the assistant secretary of planning and multimodal commerce for the agency for five years.

Dr. Kalivoda – who has worked in the transportation sector for 40 years, nearly 30 of them with Louisiana DOTD – holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Louisiana State University, a Master of Science in civil engineering from the University of Arizona, and Doctorate in Philosophy from North Carolina State University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Louisiana, Arizona, and North Carolina.