AASHTO Board Elects Paul Trombino President

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Board of Directors on Sept. 29, elected Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) Director Paul Trombino III, association president.  David Bernhardt, P.E., commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) was elected vice president.

"I’ve spent more than two decades in transportation and this ranks at the top of my list of extraordinary moments and I approach it with great humility,” Trombino said.  “I am deeply honored to be selected by the AASHTO Board of Directors to serve in this national leadership role. “

While he plans to continue pursing AASHTO’s policy priorities – including Congressional action on a new surface transportation bill – Trombino will primarily focus his time as president on ensuring AASHTO is well positioned to serve its members. Trombino said his primary emphasis will be on implementing AASHTO’s new strategic plan, including completing a thorough review of the association’s committee structure. 

“Transportation powers prosperity across the United States, stimulating opportunity for economic activity and quality of life,” Trombino said. “AASHTO has served its members well for more than a hundred years and it’s important that we continue to adapt to ensure we can meet the evolving needs of our membership.”

Appointed director of Iowa DOT in May 2011, Trombino manages a $1 billion annual budget and approximately 3,000 employees.  Iowa DOT is a multimodal agency responsible for the state’s transit, rail, aviation, motor vehicle and motor carrier services programs as well as 9,400 miles of highways and 4,300 bridges.

Trombino is a member of the AASHTO executive Committee and chair of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Transportation Communications.  Prior to joining Iowa DOT, Trombino worked at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) for 17 years holding several positions, including operations director of the highway division and director of the Bureau of Transit, Local Roads, Rails and Harbors. Trombino also spent four years in the finance and banking industry in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Trombino earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Bernhardt, P.E., was appointed commissioner of MaineDOT in February 2011. Commissioner Bernhardt joined MaineDOT in 1984 and has held several positions at the department over the years. Immediately prior to his becoming Commissioner, Bernhardt served as Maine DOT’s director of engineering and operations. Bernhardt is a 1984 graduate of the University of Maine at Orono, where he earned associate’s and Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering.