The Research and Development Executive Committee (RDEC) provides guidance and oversight of the Research Unit’s administration of the Department’s State Planning and Research (SPR) program in the following ways: providing fiscal accountability, reviewing and prioritizing research topics for development as research projects, monitoring progress of on-going studies, and tracking implementation of results from completed studies. The Research Unit supports RDEC in these efforts through presentations of ongoing and completed projects at biannual Committee meetings.
Membership is composed of high-level managers from key divisions of the Department, two District Engineering Administrators, and representatives from the Office of Materials and Research and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The makeup and organization of the Committee is shown below.
Committee Organization Chart
| Rob Perry, Acting Deputy Secretary for Engineering, Chairman |
| Brent Rewis, Deputy Secretary for Intermodal Planning |
| Maggie Hendry, Interim Deputy Secretary for Finance & Administration |
| Vacant, Chief Engineer for Project Delivery |
| Andy Leaphart, Chief Engineer for Operations |
| Michael Chandler, Interim Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Services |
| Robbie Isgett, Director of Construction |
| Robert Bedenbaugh, Director of Engineering Support |
| Jeff Terry, Director of Maintenance |
| John Boylston, Director of Preconstruction |
| Brent Dillon, Director of Traffic Engineering |
| Machael Peterson, Director of Planning |
| Chad Long, Director of Environmental Services |
| Michael Barbee, Director of Right of Way |
| Jennifer Necker, Director of Intermodal and Freight Programs |
| Rob Perry, Chief Engineer for Bridges |
| Darrin Player, Chief Procurement Officer |
| Chris Gaskins, Director of Alternative Delivery |
| Robert Dickinson, District Engineering Administrator, District 1 |
| Kyle Berry, District Engineering Administrator, District 5 |
| Merrill Zwanka, Materials and Research Engineer, Secretary |
| Teresa Parker, Program Delivery Team Lead, FHWA |