COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Senate confirmed Justin P. Powell to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation.
Powell was appointed by the South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation on Jan. 18, 2024.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation has scheduled its annual statewide highway litter clean-up event for Wednesday, April 3. Called the “Spring Spruce Up,” this initiative is an annual employee tradition. On this day, SCDOT employee volunteers work in groups to collect litter along South Carolina’s highways in counties across the state.
His appointment was reviewed by the Senate Transportation Committee and the committee voted unanimously to send a favorable report regarding Powell’s appointment to the full Senate for consideration.
Pamela L. Christopher, chair of the SCDOT Commission, said, “Mr. Powell has demonstrated he is ready to lead SCDOT into the future as the Secretary of Transportation. Together, we will continue our work to improve the road and bridge network across the state and to keep South Carolina moving.”
Powell said, “I appreciate the trust and confidence of the South Carolina Senate in my ability to lead this organization. It is an honor to serve and to me there is no higher calling than to serve the people of South Carolina. I look forward to continuing the tremendous progress of the South Carolina Department of Transportation and to the bright future ahead for all South Carolinians.”
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Powell most recently served as chief operating officer managing the day-to-day operations of SCDOT including its $5 billion construction program and maintenance of the nation’s fourth-largest state highway system. Powell joined SCDOT in 2019 as deputy secretary for finance and administration with responsibility for SCDOT’s $2.7 billion budget and oversaw the growth of the construction program from $3 billion to $5 billion. In 2022, he was promoted to chief of staff, serving as the senior advisor to the secretary of transportation and led numerous strategic initiatives on the Secretary’s behalf.
Before working for SCDOT, he served as assistant county administrator in Horry County, where he provided financial leadership to the county’s $500 million roads sales tax program, managed a project to restore freight rail service to a three-county region, and supported the county’s response to numerous disasters and subsequent resiliency efforts. In addition, Powell has also worked at other local government agencies including Dorchester County, the City of Greenville, and Fairfax County, Va.
Powell began his tenure as secretary following the retirement of Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall in March 2024. Powell is serving as the 17th agency head of the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
