Markell nominates new DelDOT secretary
Gov. Jack Markell announced he is nominating U.S. Department of Transportation official Shailen Bhatt as the state's next secretary of the Department of Transportation.
Bhatt has experience working on local, state and federal transportation issues and is currently serving as associate administrator at the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, D.C.
For the last two years, he has been responsible for setting policy and managing relationships with members of Congress and has been leading the highway administration's efforts in reauthorizing the nation’s surface transportation legislation.
“Shailen offers energy, experience and leadership,” said Markell. “Transportation plays a critical role in the daily lives of Delawareans. We face significant challenges in transportation. It was important for us to find someone with strong leadership skills ready to take on those challenges. Shailen offers us local, state and federal level experience. The job demands someone of his caliber.”
The Federal Highway Administration is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Through the Federal Aid Highway Program, the highway administration supports state and local governments in the design, construction, and maintenance of the nation’s highway system. Bhatt played a key role in establishing the Federal Highway Administration’s signature initiative on accelerated project delivery, called Every Day Counts.
Bhatt served as a deputy executive director with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet where he was responsible for advancing transportation projects and addressing regional transportation needs. During his time in Kentucky, he helped oversee a record construction period for the state. Before working in Kentucky, he was director of the Bowling Green/Warren County Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Bhatt is on the advisory committee of the State Smart Transportation Initiative and formerly served as a board member for Preservation Kentucky and the Bowling Green/Warren County Regional Airport. Bhatt currently resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Neelam.
