AASHTO Journal - MoDOT’s McKenna Named Eno Center’s Chief Executive

The Eno Center for Transportation has named Patrick McKenna (above) as its new president and CEO effective October 7. He succeeds Robert Puentes, who has served as the Eno Center’s chief executive since 2016.

[Above photo by MoDOT]

The Eno Center is a non-profit charitable foundation established in 1921 by William Phelps Eno, who pioneered the field of traffic management in the United States and Europe. The organization conducts transportation research and insight into transportation policy issues. Through its professional development programs, Eno also cultivates creative and visionary leadership by giving public and private transportation leaders the tools and training they need to succeed together.

Under McKenna’s leadership, the Eno Center will continue to focus on its core mission to shape public debate on critical multimodal transportation issues and to build a network of innovative transportation professionals.

McKenna currently serves as the director of the Missouri Department of Transportation – a position he’s held for the last nine years. Prior to his tenure as MoDOT’s director, McKenna served as the deputy commissioner for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and chief financial officer at the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Senate.

He also served as the president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for 2019-2020, as well as chair of the AASHTO Committee on Safety. In fact, safety has been a key focus area for McKenna – both during his time as AASHTO’s president and during his tenure at MoDOT, where he helped launch the agency’s “Buckle Up Phone Down” safety campaign that other state departments of transportation subsequently adopted.

“We are thrilled to welcome Patrick McKenna to the Eno Center,” said James Burnley, chairman of Eno’s board of directors and a former secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, in a statement. “He is an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities the transportation industry faces today. We are confident that his vision and expertise will drive the Eno Center to new heights.”

McKenna expressed excitement about joining Eno and advancing its mission. “I am honored to lead the Eno Center at this pivotal time,” he said. “I look forward to collaborating with Eno’s talented team and diverse stakeholders to further our vision for a transportation system that fosters economic vitality, advances social equity, improve safety, and quality of life for all.”