Paul J. Wiedefeld was confirmed as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) on February 13, 2023, and sworn in on March 2, 2023, the latest achievement in a career spanning more than 40 years, including transportation posts in the public and private sectors.
As Secretary, Mr. Wiedefeld oversees MDOT’s six agencies – the State Highway Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration and Maryland Transportation Authority. He leads operations and maintenance of state highways, bridges, tollways, transit systems, motor vehicle licensing, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. He serves as Chair of the MDTA Board, the Maryland Port Commission and the Maryland Aviation Commission.
Secretary Wiedefeld most recently was Vice President with the international architectural and engineering firm HDR, where he served as the US Northeast Transportation Business Director. Prior to joining HDR, he was the General Manager/CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) from 2015 to 2022. Metro is one of the nation’s largest transit systems, with more than 12,000 employees, an annual $2.2 billion operating budget, and a $2.5 billion capital program.
Prior to WMATA, Secretary Wiedefeld was the CEO of the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport for 10 years. Working closely with numerous airlines during his tenure, the airport grew to become the leading passenger airport in the Washington metropolitan region. To support this growth, he managed the largest capital expansion in the airport’s history, including the construction of a 26-gate terminal for Southwest airlines, an 8,400-space parking garage, and a modern consolidated rental car facility.
Secretary Wiedefeld also served as the Administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration, managing day-to-day operations of what was then the nation’s 13th largest transit system, including commuter rail, subway, light rail, buses, and paratransit.
He was prepared for these executive level public sector challenges by holding various county, regional, and state level government positions during his career. Most notably, serving as the Director of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Office of System Planning and Evaluation. In this position he was responsible for preparing the state’s long-range transportation plan and management of the Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP). The CTP is the department’s capital budget consisting of aviation, port, highway, and transit projects across Maryland. He was responsible for working extensively with a broad range of stakeholders throughout the state to reach consensus on transportation planning and programming initiatives to serve the needs of their communities.
Additional private sector experience includes a decade as a consultant with the engineering firm, Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Secretary Wiedefeld has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Towson University and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. A Baltimore native, he attended Mount St. Joseph High School.
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David Nevins is president & CEO of Nevins & Associates, a highly regarded strategic communications company and proactive public relations partner. The firm’s regional and national client base is a unique mix of organizations across a variety of industries including: healthcare, professional service firms, finance, not-for-profits, distributors, state agencies, national media companies, technology, political and grassroots campaigns, real estate development, sporting events, and more.
With more than 30 years of experience in marketing, public relations, and community and government relations, David is a talented and seasoned executive. Prior to founding Nevins & Associates in 1983, David served as the Director of Marketing for both Towson University and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, he was tapped by the CEO of Comcast to employ his marketing expertise as President of the company’s regional sports network, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. David is a Past President of the Board of Governors for the Center Club and is a former Chairman of the Board of Regents for the University System of Maryland, a position to which he was appointed by the Governor of Maryland. David has chaired the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission and the Maryland Higher Education Loan Corporation, served as President of both the Jewish National Fund and the Towson Business Association and was a member of the PNC Bank board.
David is highly involved in the business, civic, and political communities, and his many years of active leadership in numerous organizations have built a network of contacts that he regularly puts to use for the firm’s clients. For more information, visit www.nevinspr.com.
